Lotus Flowers
by MeltingSunlight
Summary: After the battle of Hogwarts, Professor McGonnagall tells Hermione that she shares a life bond with the woman from her nightmares- and only a month to live unless she uses her time turner to stop Bellatrix Lestrange from being killed in her duel with Molly Weasely. M for language and adult themes later on.
1. Chapter 1

Hermione's feet fell noisily against the stone tile floor as she drove herself harder to get the the great hall in time. She didn't care about the sound giving her away, safely under the protection of a potent disillusionment charm. A curse flew at her from the left and took a chunk out of the wall in a shower of dust and shrapnel but it didn't slow her down for any greater length of time than it took for her to reflexively look at it's source.

 _Death Eater. Fuck._

She ran faster; he hadn't seen her, merely missed the boy who he'd really been aiming at. She knew by this point, Fred would already be dead. She had realised it with a sick feeling only a couple of seconds after she had materialised.

 _Focus, Hermione, that's not what you're here for._

She threw herself down the stairs so quickly she stumbled a few times, but the fear of being too late kept her from stopping.

 _Some things never change, punctual if it kills me._

Spell-fire could be heard from every direction, though the main body of fighters were concentrated inside the great hall.

Hermione halted to a forced stop behind a stone column near the entrance, her breath ragged.

 _Well, it's make or break I suppose._

The young witch mentally gathered together all the things which Snape had taught her over the last month and focused herself, her hands shaking from a mixture of fatigue and the magic that was slowly suffocating her life force from the inside.

The young witch closed her eyes and focused on the most complex piece of magic she'd ever learned. Within her practice sessions, Hermione had so far only been successful once, and the second Severus had found out the Potions Master had sent her straight to her dorm, cajoled by house elves, to get ready for the real thing- Hermione's time was ticking and they didn't know how much longer she had left before she would become too weak, and all her training would be for nothing.

A couple of tense seconds later and Hermione's world blurred and twisted in a way not dissimilar to apperating. Her eyes re-opened cautiously and relief flooded her as she gazed at her own paws, despite it still being an odd sensation. Her animagus form was still a lot to take in, though her favourite teacher had prepared her for that, too.

 _You'll get used to it soon enough._ Severus had told her kindly. Hermione wasn't so sure.

It had been Snape that had suggested Hermione become an animagus. At the time of the battle of Hogwarts Hermione's animagus didn't exist, meaning that in this form she could both use her time turner and safely be seen- no one would know it was her. Not that that wouldn't have had to have been a pivotal part of their plan anyway.

Hermione took a deep breath and slunk around the corner into the main hall using the shadows and steadily mounting rubble to conceal herself. It was just as chaotic as she remembered; students firing spell after spell and death eaters firing just as many, if not more back.

Explosions shrieked all around, painful to her sensitive ears and smells of blood and death threatened to overwhelm her.

She wasted no time, she, herself and Snape had planned this to run like clockwork and she had already found her mark, dark curls dancing with the fight. Her heart lurched and pain crashed down the left side of her skull and shivered its way down her spine as she watched Molly Weasley round on Bellatrix like an animal, driven past the point of reason with grief for her dead son.

Hermione's muscles reacted to the adrenaline and suddenly she was out of the shadows and tearing across the great hall, much faster on four legs than two. People glanced at her from amid their own personal battles, some double-taking at the sight, but none had the luxury of being able to stare for the fear of being shot down whilst their back was turned.

The closer she got to the Weasley matriarch the angrier the brunette got. It wasn't a natural anger, but it was possessive and plentiful and Hermione struggled not to give in to it- the plan wasn't to kill the woman. Molly's arm drew back in an arc, her wand coming down in slow motion and Hermione knew this would be the spell to finally best Bellatrix.

Claws and an impressive weight hit the redheaded woman all at once as Hermione leapt at her, one massive paw clamped to her back, one across the far side of her face, right past Bellatrix's undeniably surprised self. Or was it exasperation she wore? Maybe both.

Molly hit the ground with a shriek and her wand scattered away from her into the crowd of fighting as Hermione roared. She felt so uncontrollably furious that Molly had raised her hand to Bellatrix which was ridiculous since Bellatrix was more than capable of looking after herself.

 _But not that time, remember?_

It took a lot to lift herself from the unconscious woman's body without mauling her. She turned to find Bellatrix standing motionless in the spot where she should have died, dark eyes not betraying what she was thinking. Hermione stared back and for the first time since the last time she had been in this battle, found her body wasn't racked with pain. The relief was mesmerising and all of a sudden Hermione felt like she'd stared too long. Pointedly, she looked toward the door and back to Bellatrix again, desperate for her to understand. If the woman didn't take the opportunity to flee now, she'd be in Azkaban the minute the was was won. Hermione shivered and with one last glance at Bellatrix, she turned and ran from the great hall, weaving between the carnage and out into the corridor where she became herself once more, span her time turner, and disappeared from Hogwarts.

 _~One month earlier~_

"Poppy I don't understand, what could be doing this?" Professor McGonagall's voice was an octave higher with stress.

"I've told you, Minerva, we have done everything we can, exhausted every option, tried every cure and we cannot find the cause as to what is wrong with her. I'm sorry. This is beyond me."

"And you're sure she hasn't been poisoned, something rare, harder to detect?"

"Professor, I'm sorry, I really am but the girl hasn't been poisoned. Her blood is fine, _she_ is fine, there is nothing we can find wrong with her, yet…"

The professor looked down at the girl dying in her make-shift bed and prayed she would somehow miraculously recover. It had not been any longer than an hour since the battle had been won before Hermione had collapsed unconscious and barely breathing during a conversation about the recent victory with a beaming Hagrid. He had been a mess after such a day, his face, like most people's, was covered in dust and dirt, clean only where tears had cleared a path. There had been more tears when he had seen the trio again, though for happier reasons.

Hermione's ears were ringing. She had a blinding headache. She felt sick.

"Where is Severus when we need him?" Minerva sounded distraught.

"Professor Snape is currently in critical condition- he _has_ been poisoned, virulently. Snake bite. That monstrosity that Mr Longbottom took care of, from the size of the bite marks. I expect he was intended to die, but he is clinging on. It's funny, they found a tattoo on him, as well."

"I'm sorry?"

"A tattoo. On his neck somewhere from what I hear. Say's 'always' or something or rather."

Minerva wasn't sure she understood. "What did you mean by 'as well'?"

Madame Pomfrey gestured vaguely towards Hermione but didn't say anything.

Pain cracked through her as her arm was moved and suddenly dropped. Professor McGonagall gasped in such a way that Hermione's eyes squinted open, a tiny amount. It was enough. Minerva's hand was over her mouth, shaking so much that only her index finger remained over her lips, the others wavering erratically back and forth. Hermione couldn't see what she was looking at without moving her head, which was out of the question, and she shut her eyes again. Her head throbbed. There was a long quiet.

"I… I believe I know what's afflicting her." McGonagall said quietly, eventually.

Hermione could hear Madame Pomfrey drop her things down hurriedly at the next bed. "What? What do you mean?"

"Bring her to the Gryffindor prefect's room, if it's still in one piece."

"Professor, she's not well-"

"She'll be fine, but you need to bring her upstairs so that I might speak with her privately when she comes around."

The nurse looked dumbfounded but did as she was bid anyway. Hermione felt herself being lifted up, and fell unconscious once more.

 _~29 hours later~_

Hermione stirred early the next morning. It was just past half past seven and the second she opened her eyes a house elf that had apparently been sitting at the end of her bed apperated away with a pop. Her surroundings were unmistakably Gryffindor- Red, Gold and the occasional hint of Black. She sat up suddenly as memories of the fighting flooded back to her, her heart racing.

 _We won. We won!_

A smile broke out on her face.

"Glad to see you are feeling better, Miss Granger."

Hermione jumped as the Scottish tones invaded her internal victory party. "Professor." She identified, her brain not sure what else to say.

The woman smiled weakly and Hermione immediately knew something was wrong.

Hermione tucked her hair behind her ear. "Is everything alright, professor?" She wondered where the boys were. Ron was probably still asleep. Harry might be up, but then, he might not be.

Minerva opened her mouth, closed it, and then slowly made her way around the side of the bed, setting her self down on the edge of the armchair beside her. "Make yourself comfortable, Miss Granger. I fear there is a lot to discuss."

Hermione struggled to sit up properly, her arms feeling oddly weak. Perhaps she had over exerted herself yesterday. She snorted at the stupidity of the thought. ' _perhaps?' of course I over exerted myself yesterday, as did everyone._

Hermione looked half expectantly at her favourite teacher. McGonagall didn't move for long while, and anxiety began to set in Hermione's heart. "Professor?"

The woman peered over the top of her glasses at her student. "Miss Granger, do you remember how you got here?"

Hermione frowned. "I'm not sure I understand, professor."

"I mean, to this room, last night?"

Hermione was about to answer 'of course I do.' when it struck her that actually, she didn't.

"No, professor."

The teacher shifted uncomfortably. "You were carried here after passing out during a conversation with the game keeper, yesterday night. Do you remember?"

Hermione swallowed nervously. "No, professor." She repeated quietly.

McGonagall looked painfully at her lap for a moment before composing herself.

"Madame Pomfrey called me to inform me that you had perhaps an hour to live. Your heart rate was dangerously low, you were unresponsive, too cold. However, they could not identify a single thing wrong with you. Just unrelated symptoms."

"But professor, I feel fine." Hermione was trying not to interrupt but it was true; she did feel fine. A little shaky, maybe, but certainly not on her death bed. She shivered. Had she really been so close?

"Yes. And you will do, for a time. Two days, I should think."

"What do you mean?" Hermione's voice was small. Did she have two days to live?

"Miss Granger, I want you to look down at your left wrist- you wont understand what you see but rest assured I intend to explain it to you."

Hermione slowly looked down at her wrist. "What the hell? Someone tattoo'd me!" She cried, rubbing furiously at the mark, hoping it would wipe off.

"I assure you they have not. What you see is a lotus."

Hermione stopped rubbing at the inky black shape and noticed McGonagall was right- it was indeed in the shape of a lotus flower, perhaps an inch wide. If it wasn't such an intense colour black she would have assumed it was a birthmark.

"Where did it come from?"

Hermione had to stop herself gawping as her teachers eyes filled up with tears.

"I'm sorry," She apologised sincerely, seeing the concern on the young girls face, "It's just, well, it is not the first time I've been asked that." She sniffed. "Hermione this is going to be difficult for you. I need you to try and listen even if you don't want to hear it- if ever you were going to prove yourself the best of your generation, this would be the time to do it."

Hermione just nodded, her wrist limp in her lap.

"Have you ever heard of soul magic?"

Hermione had heard of soul magic, but only the name. It was one of the main subjects covered in the few books she hadn't managed to sneak out of the restricted section.

"I'm afraid I know very little about it, other than it occurs naturally and exceptionally rarely. And that there are laws around it which give allowances to people under its effects, though I don't know what allowances, exactly."

Minerva smiled. "Still further ahead than most." She commented. "Yes, what you say is correct. Soul magic occurs within particularly powerful magical blood at birth, though it does not usually make itself apparent until much later on. Are you aware of what it does?"

Hermione wasn't sure, and she hated answering based on unreliable sources. "I heard it's where muggles get the idea of soul mates from."

Minerva nodded very slowly. "It is indeed. However, it is not merely an idea, but a truth seen so rarely that it has become just a fable. Soul magic occurs in pairs. When one child is born carrying the magic, another will be, also. They do not have to be born at the same time, necessarily, they can be years apart. If though, when they are of age, they find one another, the magic fuses and sets in motion a particularly.. volatile process."

Hermione nodded to say she was following. Actually, she was fascinated.

"This process bonds two people together for life in a way which many people cannot fathom. It is highly dangerous- people do stupid things for love as it is but this… well, it causes aggression, violence, unbidden and barely provoked from people who would never normally hurt a fly. It calms down somewhat, over time, and can be controlled more easily, but nevertheless it is seen to cloud an individual so much that the law, as you rightly pointed out, does make allowances for it. It is an instinctual protectiveness over ones partner when they are under any kind of attack, and it happens for good reason."

"Why?" Hermione wasn't sure where this was going.

"Because… If a persons soul mate dies, they will die too. It will be long and drawn out. Over a month, maybe six weeks. It starts with fatigue, passing out, and then gradually becomes more painful, more serious until one day…" Minerva trailed off.

Hermione blinked slowly, remembering back to the beginning of the conversation and the news that she had passed out and wondering what her teacher was implying.

"The mark, on your wrist." McGonagall gestured to Hermione's arm and the young witch looked down.

"It appeared during the battle I should think. I can't imagine why it took so long."

"I don't understand, professor." Hermione found herself shaking.

"The mark appears first on the carrier who is born first and then replicates itself onto their soul mate after they come into close contact with one another- proof to themselves, and the world that they are telling the truth. Many magical tests can be done on them. However, they are usually white. They turn black when… well, when… When one soul mate dies."

Hermione felt like she was going to be sick. Her head was spinning. After all this, all their work, they won, they _won_ and she was going to die in six weeks maximum because… She trailed off in her thoughts. Because _who_ had died?

"I know this must be a lot for you to take in, Hermione, I'm so sorry…"

"Who was it?" Hermione's voice was cracking. Why did she feel such a sense of loss? "You know, don't you?"

Minerva winced. "Perceptive as always. Yes, Miss Granger, I do know. However… You may not want to. It is your choice."

Hermione couldn't think what could be worse than a death sentence. "Tell me."

McGonagall hesitated.

"Tell me, please."

"Bellatrix. Molly Weasley killed her in a duel." The teacher said quietly.

Without any warning Hermione felt her heart wrench in fear and she felt the overwhelming urge to break down. She couldn't love someone like that, not a murderous, vindictive psychopath.

My _murderous vindictive psychopath though, apparently._

The young witch couldn't breath. "How do you know it was her? It could have been anyone that died in there."

McGonagall smiled sadly. "Because she came to me, at the same age as you, holding her wrist out and demanding to know who had managed to tattoo her so thoroughly that she couldn't remove it. It runs in her family, soul magic. We didn't even test it, it was obvious what it was. A little white lotus flower… I had never thought any more of it until yesterday."

Hermione felt hollow. "What do I do?"

McGonagall sighed. "The best person to ask would be Severus. I trust Potter filled you in about him?"

Hermione nodded vaguely. There was a long moments silence.

"It is going to be a difficult time, Hermione," The professor said kindly. "I'm sure I can imagine the solution Severus will suggest."

Hermione's eyes drifted up to her teachers. She couldn't process everything she had heard over the last half an hour and she was sure she couldn't take much more if she tried but still she couldn't help but ask.

"What would that be, professor?"

McGonagall sighed. "With you interests at heart, the only way I can see of getting around this would be to use your time turner to prevent Bellatrix from ever dying. Which as you can imagine will not be simple seeing as no one would be allowed to see you and she was killed in a very crowded hall. Plus there's the moral and ethical issues around bringing someone as dangerous as Bellatrix back. But that will, unfortunately, be on your shoulders to decide upon."

"Condemn myself to death or save myself and Bellatrix and raise hell." Hermione said blankly.

The professor sat silently beside her in an equally somber mood.

"You should get some rest, or at best take some time to think about all this… mess. This room is yours now- the elves will be around if you need anything and I," Minerva said with some strain as she rose from where she had been perched, "Am always in my office."

"Thank you, professor." Hermione's voice was a dry whisper. "Professor." She added just as McGonagall was about to leave. "Can I tell anyone?"

Minerva sighed. "Whilst it would be better not to, it is your choice. Be careful, Hermione. Bellatrix has few friends in this world and many people out there would go to drastic lengths to keep her gone."

With one last sad look, the older woman left Hermione to her thoughts.

Hermione spent the rest of her day contemplating her fate, staring at her wrist. At first, she had cried- she had cried until she couldn't cry any more and had simply lay still with her face buried in her pillow, breathing shallowly. Afterwards, she had felt more logical. She went through it all again in her mind until she had simplified it into a short bullet point list that she could repeat when everything over-crowded her mind at once.

-Bellatrix died

-We're apparently joined by some ancient magic

-It's now killing me

-Do I try to bring her back or do I give in and die?

The only thing she couldn't box up and categorise was what she felt about Bellatrix. She would be the first to admit she was terrified of the woman, her arm still bore the scars her knife had left. But despite the fear and the suppressed hatred she felt for the woman there was a dull hurting in her heart when she thought of her being gone. Maybe the magic bond was forming regardless of Bellatrix being dead. The thought put the fear of god into Hermione. She couldn't imagine being in the same room as the woman voluntarily, let alone… She refused to go there.

Her heart resumed its dragging sensation again. Hermione sighed. She felt tired again. A house elf brought her some red grapes and a butter beer which she had accepted gratefully, but now all she wanted to do was sleep.

 _Bellatrix is a vicious, evil person and she needs to stay gone, whatever that means._ She told herself as she cuddled her duvet over her. A voice in the back of her head disagreed and she fell into a dark dream about poisoned lotus flowers.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been three days since Hermione had woken up to the house elf and the lotus flower and with no small amount of frustration, she found herself once more right back where she started.

The evening before, just as Minerva had predicted, she had collapsed in front of the fire in her room, dropping her book onto the marble hearth, her head narrowly missing the same fate.

When she came to this time, however, the house elf stayed put.

"Miss Hermione is awake, Dea is pleased. Dea was told to pass on a message to Miss Hermione if she should awake; Mistress Minerva would like Miss Hermione to dress and join Mistress Minerva in her office as soon as Miss Hermione feels she is able. Master Severus is awake."

Hermione blinked a few times to clear her head. She had forgotten to ask Professor McGonnagall why Snape would be the one to talk to about such an issue as hers. "Thank you, Dea. I'll be there shortly."

The elf flattened her ears back and beamed before disapperating.

Hermione ran her fingers through her hair and suppressed a yawn. For the third night in a row the little sleep she had managed had been somewhat _disturbed_ by dreams of the eldest black sister.

The young witch pushed the thoughts from her mind and dressed as quickly as her slightly aching limbs would allow, wondering what the potions master would have to say to her. It would be strange seeing him once again after all that had happened.

The Scottish professor straightened up from the desk she was hunched over as Hermione knocked and entered her office.

"Good afternoon, Miss Granger."

Hermione smiled. "Good afternoon, Professor. I didn't realise it was so late in the day."

"Ironically, your sleep seems to be knocking off your sense of time. It matters very little, there are only three students left at Hogwarts including yourself, and neither are from your house."

Hermione frowned. "Where's Harry and Ron?"

"Mr Potter and Mr Weasley have both opted to begin their auror training. They assumed seeing you was off limits seeing as how strict the rules had been around seeing you over the last three days and I felt it would be odd if I said any different. I could hardly explain your sudden recovery with the truth."

Hermione sighed. She knew it wasn't their fault, but it still hurt that they hadn't said goodbye.

"I see. The house elf told me that Professor Snape was awake?"

"Yes, that's right. He would like to speak with you urgently, about... Recent discoveries."

"I shan't keep him waiting, then." Hermione said heavily, feeling slightly apprehensive about what was to come.

Snape looked worse for wear. He was looking out of the window at the back of his new office with his back to the younger witch as she entered.

"Miss Granger." He acknowledged slowly. He had lost his old sneer.

"Professor." Hermione nodded, feeling like this day was getting terribly circular.

"Sit."

The witch did as she was bid and sat in an arm chair, watching as the pale potions master turned to face her. There was scarring across his throat that was still purple, and Hermione assumed he must be taking a break from the healing spells he'd likely been submerged in since the battle.

"Miss Granger, the main reason I wanted to talk to you was to warn you."

Hermione began to fiddle with the ends of her sleeve; the tone made her anxious after all the trouble the trio had been through over the last few years, and warnings never seemed to lead anywhere good.

"About Bellatrix?"

Snape chuckled quietly and wearily. "No," he sighed "No, not of Bellatrix."

"You mean there's something worse in all this than her?"

Snape smiled sadly down at the desk beneath him as he leaved heavily on it to sit himself down. "Bella isn't all that bad, Miss Granger. Especially if she comes to care for you."

Hermione gawped. " _Not that bad_?"

Snape held his hand up, knowing how it must sound to someone from the outside.

"I know, I know." He took a deep breath, apparently with some difficulty. "I know you'll reject the idea. But we'll come to that in time. I needed to warn you not about Bella but about the Order. The Ministry. Your friends. They are not what they seem to be."

The way the man called Bellatrix by such a familiar shortening made Hermione equally uncomfortable an curious. She supposed he must have lived in quite close quarters with her at times.

"I don't know what you mean, professor."

The recovering professor took a long while to think. "Don't get me wrong, Miss Granger, the Order believe in what they say entirely. When they say they are the light, they believe it. When they say they are salvation, they believe it. When they say they are your friends, they most whole heartedly believe it. But living my life has allowed me to see both sides of the war. After all, without seeing both sides of the story, how can one really be sure they are with the good guys?"

Hermione wasn't really sure what the man was implying. Upon sensing this, he continued delicately.

"What I mean to say is, I have lived with both sides during this war; one was cruel, unforgiving, and quick to turn their backs on me. The other was kind, lenient, and treated me like family. There's no easy way to admit that it was not the Order nor the ministry that behaved as the latter. I found my home amongst the people who you regard as the most evil to ever have walked the earth."

Hermione wasn't often left speechless, and found it a rather frustrating sensation.

"Why tell me this professor?" She asked eventually. This sort of confession could get him into serious trouble with all the suspicion still lingering around his loyalty, surely?

"Because, Miss Granger, in just over three weeks from now there's a chance you will be using your time turner to save you soul mate's life. If Bella lives, the Order will have no choice but to leave you alone- that symbol on your wrist means you are almost untouchable. If Bella were to be presented to a judge now, they will have to view you as one person. They cannot kill her without killing you, which would create an outcry. They cannot send her to Azkaban without inflicting the same pain on you- which would also create an outcry. They cannot do anything to bind or limit her magic without doing the same to yours- you see where this is going. I'll be straight with you, Miss Granger. I want you to seriously consider saving Bellatrix and yourself rather than letting yourself die out of honour as I know you plan to now. Once Bella is back with us, I wish to, with both of your collaborations, go back further and manipulate events so that the opposition wins the war."

Hermione stood up suddenly, not believing what she was hearing and not feeling in the slightest bit safe.

"Miss Granger, please. Hear me out." He could see she was afraid and she glanced nervously at the door.

"I merely want you to be with all the knowledge you can have at this time. Marching to your death on half the facts doesn't seem your style."

Slowly, Hermione sat back down. _What can he do?_ She thought, shakily. _He can't do anything to me whilst I'm in the castle._

"Thank you. As I was saying. I wish to change history so that the 'dark side' is victorious. I know to you that seems an abhorrent thing to say but there is so much more to this war than just black and white. The order winning does mean the end of our society. And our world. Not because 'half bloods' or muggleborns will attend hogwarts as the propaganda suggests, but because muggles will meet this new world with aggression. If we show ourselves to them on a wide scale, there will be a war to kick this scuffle between the Dark Lord and the Order into the dust. Muggles have always met change with war. Change, the unknown, the new. You must understand this?"

Hermione shifted uncomfortably, afraid she was being manipulated into agreeing with 'dark' views. However, Snape had a point. Muggles did meet all three of those things with aggression a lot, she had never thought of the situation turning nasty between muggles and the magical. She supposed she had been infantilising muggles to a point. They did, after all have weapons of mass destruction that witches and wizards could never comprehend- a protego wouldn't protect them all from being nuked.

She wetted her lips. "You can't know it'll go like that. It could go very well."

"The only way it would go well is if the muggle leaders realised that magic was a source of free, clean energy. We would be slaves at gun point."

Hermione shuddered to think.

"Then I'll tell McGonnagall. Anyone. I'll make sure that we don't put ourselves in that situation."

"Hermione it is too late for that. The Order is too caught up in its pride, its victory. At this rate, you only have a month at most to live and you _still_ might see the start of this new war. I'm not asking you to decide now. All I want you to agree to is to let me try to convince you. I'll tell you everything you want to know about anyone you want to know. I'll tell you about the death eaters, about the real agendas, about the Dark Lord, my time with them. About Bella. You must be at least a little curious as to Bellatrix- to know the real person you very soul is reserved for?"

The prospect of unlimited knowledge about so many things she was admittedly very interested in was extremely tempting.

"Worst case, you spend your last month gaining knowledge you never would have otherwise known. Best case, you use it to save a lot of lives. All I'm asking is for you to allow me to try. If you don't want to hear any more then I will say no more about it." Snape put his hands flat on the desk and Hermione chewed her lip anxiously. On one hand her reasonable side was telling her this was an awful idea and that she should leave right now and forget about it. On the other hand, the images of Hogsmead post-nuclear bombing and the insanely annoying idea that she might be missing a lot of important information told her to let Snape try. All he could do was tell her everything she wanted to know, after all. She still didn't have to act on it.

"Okay, fine. You can try to convince me. But I want to know everything and the truth. Ive spent years on this war and we won. It's going to take a sickening amount of persuasion and facts to make me tamper with that."

Snape nodded deeply. "I understand, of course. The majority of the students have been sent home whilst the castle is being repaired. Apart from you there are only two other students, two second year hufflepuff sisters who lost the remainder of their family in the war and have nowhere else to go. Come and find me when ever you are ready." Hermione nodded and with a final good evening, left the office. She breathed deeply as she walked as quickly as she could away from the room and down the quickest route to get her outdoors. Once out on the grounds she sank to the grass and leaned her head back, unable to think clearly.

She couldn't believe what she had just agreed too. Was she seriously considering this? Even seriously considering considering this? Changing time completely? Was it even possible?

She lay back on the grass and stared up at the sky, thoughts running through her mind. Every so often, her left wrist would twinge and her thoughts would be drawn back to the dark witch that shared her mark.

 _Shes not all that bad._ Snape's words drifted through her head for the 100th time since she had heard them. How could anyone thing that Bellatrix Lestrange, or Black, now, she supposed, was 'not that bad'?

After more than a few hours contemplation, Hermione found herself with more questions than she could cope with and, getting up, she shook herself off and made her way back into the castle to find Snape.


	3. Chapter 3

Snape poured the aged fire whiskey into the second small frosted glass as if it were a very precious potion.

"Under the circumstances," he drawled, carefully picking up the two small glasses and handing one to Hermione, "I'm sure there can be allowed a little rule breaking, Miss Granger."

Hermione had never really been a drinker but took it gratefully; she'd watched him open the bottle, something she was sure he'd done in front of her specifically for that reason, so she knew there was nothing there shouldn't be in the amber liquid.

"Thanks." She said weakly, wondering what on earth Minerva would say about the sight of the two of them, sitting out on a balcony in the evening sun clasping stiff drinks and discussing resurrecting the dark lord and his most faithful servant.

Snape lowered himself painfully into the chair that sat next to Hermione. Both chairs faced slightly inward and and overlooked a wonderful view of the lake, the evening breeze warm against their faces as the sun turned the clear sky peach and gold.

"It's a lovely view, sir." The witch said politely, gazing out at the lake.

"Yes. I was pleased it wasn't destroyed during the battle." He agreed, looking around at the untouched stone balustrade. "Though please, it only seems right you call me Severus. After all, I'm hardly operating in my capacity as a teacher now."

After a pause to consider what her professor had said, Hermione nodded and downed her drink, suddenly feeling the need for it.

"I suppose I'm hardly here as a student, either. So by the same rules, please, call me Hermione."

Severus nodded. "So. I suppose you have questions. More so than usual." He added, knowingly.

Hermione sighed and looked out towards the lake. "I don't know where to begin."

Her potions master swirled his fire whiskey around his glass and looked thoughtful. "At the beginning, perhaps." He suggested with no hint of sarcasm, not lifting his eyes from his glass. "With Bellatrix- after all, without your decision on that matter, there can be no further decisions for you no matter what the scale."

She supposed he was right. "Even if I did bring her back… She would just kill me. I am literally everything she despises."

"Not quite, I believe Rudolphus took that crown more than a few years ago."

"She didn't even love her husband?" Hermione said with some incredulity.

Severus wheezed a laugh. "You can fault Bella for many things but that's hardly one of them."

"In what way?"

"Well you must understand the circumstances of her marriage. It was a business transaction carried out by her father, love never came into it. She couldn't stand to breathe the same air as him. Understandably; Rudolphus was a pig at the best of times and an unintelligent, drunken misogynist at the worst. Even Lucius didn't like him, and someone with his political skills isn't easily pushed to outward displays of dislike among peers- bad for business."

The more Hermione thought about it, the more it made sense. "Admittedly, I almost feel sorry for her. Almost."

"Well that's progress."

"She tortured me." Hermione remarked, suddenly, unable to make herself sound any less blunt. Her insides felt like they were being tied in knots.

Severus finally looked up from his drink. "Well, now, that's up for debate, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"You were of age when the incident at Malfoy Manor occurred, were you not? If Bellatrix had really been so close to you, your mark would have appeared. Unless of course you think there's a chance it might have been there without your noticing. It would have been white, after all."

"No, it's on the same arm as all the scarring. Even if I hadn't noticed, the various people who tried to heal me would have."

"Fair enough. It wasn't there then. Which casts doubt upon whether Bellatrix was ever at Malfoy Manor."

"Who else would it have been?" Hermione asked cynically. She felt the very Gryffindor need to rebel at what was being suggested to her.

"It could have been a selection of death eaters. How did she handle the situation?"

"You know very well how she handled the situation." Hermione retorted, motioning at her left arm with her empty glass.

"I mean was she angry, was she calm, was she more focused on torturing you or gaining the information she needed?"

Hermione watched passively as one tentacle of the giant squid broke the surface of the lake, too far below for the sound to reach her ears. "She was insane. Past furious and intent on cutting me into pieces."

Severus sipped at his drink and looked thoughtfully at the lake as the ripples made by the squid started to fade away.

"What?" Hermione asked uncertainly, looking at his face of contemplation. She repeated herself slightly louder and an octave higher when he didn't answer her.

"I have to be careful," He started cautiously, "With how I say things to you. You understand, if what I tell you sounds too convenient, regardless of its truth, you might push it away or refuse it when it could be important."

"Why, what is it that's going to sound too convenient?"

"Well, Bellatrix at that point in time would have identified that the information she needed from you could have been vitally important to the outcome of the war. No matter her personal feelings for you, I strongly believe that her need to gather that information would have overridden her need to kick you around the room. Torturing you would have been too risky, lest she accidentally kill you and lose the information all together. Say what you will about her but she was never stupid."

Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to get her head around everything the Potions master was saying. "So you think the fact she was so… _Bellatrix_ … highlights that she wasn't Bellatrix?"

Snape nodded. "She was, however, a good imitation?"

"I certainly never noticed anything odd."

The older wizard finished his drink. "The only person that would have experienced Bellatrix's rage so often they could imitate it so well _and_ could have gotten close enough to her to be able to take a strand of hair for Polyjuice would have been Rudolphus."

Hermione wasn't convinced. "So you're saying Rudolphus Polyjuiced himself to look like his wife and then tortured me?"

Severus shrugged. "I can think of no other reason your mark would have failed to appear other than it not having been her. The magic of that bond is ancient, it doesn't just _fail_."

Hermione was beginning to see a full scale war break out on her mind's battlefield. "Forgive me if I stay skeptical." She mumbled the lie. She didn't feel skeptical at all, the tugging in the back of her mind and a sinking feeling in her stomach was telling her quite clearly that Severus was likely right.

At the same time, Severus was battling his own demons. He had faith that Bellatrix wouldn't harm Hermione were this plan to work, but as he would be the first to admit, they were going to need a lot more than just faith in the eldest black sister.

"I expected nothing less." He assured. "How has your sleep been?"

Hermione raised her eyebrows passively, not wanting to look at the potions master. "Disturbed." She said simply.

"Anything related to this?"

Hermione bit the inside of her lip and tried not to let the images of her nights overtake her.

"I keep seeing her die." She said quietly, eventually, tracing her scars with one finger absentmindedly. He didn't let on, but Snape noticed the subtle action.

"You didn't witness it though?"

"No but… I…" Hermione forced herself to stop before she said something she couldn't take back.

"Go on." Severus said, motioning for her to give her glass back before she powdered it in her grip. Hermione shook her head and passed him the glass, looking anywhere but directly at him. Her head had become such unfamiliar territory since the war had ended, she wasn't sure enough of anything she felt to commit to saying it out loud.

"It doesn't matter if you're unsure, no one's going to hold you to the things you say." Snape persuaded, filling Hermione's glass once more and handing it back, wondering where his career went so wrong that he was watering his student with whiskey.

Hermione took the glass once more, her hand shaking. "I just… When I wake up… I hate her."

"Bellatrix?"

"No. Molly." Hermione presses the back of her hand into her closed eyes trying not to let tears come. "I hate her so much I can't bear to think about her, Severus she's been like a mother to me, how could I…" Hermione trailed off as her voice threatened to break.

"I expect that's the influence of the bond than anything else. Mrs Weasley might be the first but she won't be the last, it's unfortunate but t's probable that by the end of the month you won't be able to stand being near anyone." He had meant to sound reassuring but upon reflection it might not have come out quite as he had meant it.

Hermione looked at him with her mouth open a little, a look of half alarm, half despair on her face.

For a second time, she drank her drink in one go and Severus had to smile. "I'd stop doing that if I were you, or I shall be _carrying_ you back to Gryffindor tower."

Hermione still looked somewhat distressed.

He reached out and touched her shoulder. "Mrs Weasley killed your _soulmate_." He said slowly. "What you feel is normal. It's not personal to Mrs Weasley in any way."

"How do you know so much about this?" Hermione asked after a couple of minutes calming herself down.

Snape sighed. "Because I had a soulmate, also."

Hermione looked at him in surprise and turned slightly in her seat to look at him better. "Really?"

Snape looked down into his drink. Taking a few moments to gather himself, he too shifted until his back was to her, and with his free hand he pulled the ends of his hair away from the back of his neck. Neat letters spelled 'Always' in black just below his hairline.

"They come in all forms, the marks. Words, shapes, symbols." Snape sat back straight in his chair and let his hair drop.

"But… It's black… Shouldn't you be…" Hermione didn't want to say it.

Snape drank the rest of his drink. "Maybe. My circumstance was not one that could be replicated if that's what you were wondering."

"No, I hadn't even thought of that. Who was it? If you don't mind me asking…" The brunette mumbled, realising it was probably a personal question.

"Lily Potter."

Hermione felt a little sympathy. "But you knew Lily… I don't understand. She married James."

Snape winced. "James was her soulmate also. A freak of magic, I suppose, magic so powerful is bound to overspill sometime. The three of us all had the same mark. She felt she had to choose. When she chose James I can only assume it made my part in it null and void but the mark remained. As did how I felt for her. Lily didn't want it to become public and so no one ever knew. After she died I didn't see the point in bringing it up."

Hermione stared at him. "I'm sorry…" She said eventually, unable to imagine how that must have felt.

 _No wonder he felt compelled to persuade me to save Bellatrix._ Hermione thought.

"Don't be. You have your own soulmate to worry about. Potentially."

Hermione felt a new weight in her heart thinking about it. Maybe she _should_ save Bellatrix. Maybe she _didn't_ know her. Maybe she was someone Hermione would love one day. She couldn't imagine it, Bellatrix scared the life out of her.

"If no one knows about Lily, why did McGonagall send me to you?"

"Because I have an interest in the subject, as far as the professor is concerned." Snape explained simply.

Hermione sank back into her seat and watched the sky as the evening drew closer to night.

"So, you suggest Bellatrix isn't as bad as I seem to think," Hermione said, noticing that she was softening her stance. She told herself it was because she was minding Severus' feelings on the subject on the whole, letting herself become more open to the subject so that he could feel better in his persuasions. She was a rotten liar, even to herself. The truth of it was she was starting to acclimatise to the idea. She just had to get past this last hurdle. She had to get some idea of who Bellatrix really was.

"I do." Severus agreed.

"What was she really like?"

"Sarcastic. Dark humoured. She was the sort of person that rolled her eyes as hell descended around her- as it frequently did. She would be up all night and sleep all day. Pace around for hours before she finally resorted to reading until 3 am. I distinctly remember her telling Draco once to 'mind his fucking language.' I feel the irony sums Bella up quite nicely. She cared greatly for her sister, however reckless she got, however much she wanted to hide in her room all day, she was a _human_ _being._ She carried a lot of stress, it got to her sometimes. She would break down alone, she never wanted to upset Narcissa with it. She was a loyal friend, I trusted her implicitly and she was an excellent leader. She was still a powerful witch, that was no lie, certainly the most powerful death eater. She had to do what she had to do at times, that just came with her rank in this war. She was terrifying enough to turn any sensible man to stone with a mere look when she needed to be." Severus smiled a little. "But underneath it all she was… no more a monster than you or I."

Hermione had rested her head on her arms, her knees pulled up to her chest. She watched the last of the sun disappear as Severus finished, trying to picture the things he was saying. It was so hard.

"If that was who she was, then why do I know her as a psychopath?"

"Well she had her moments." Snape noted with some amusement. "But we all had our facades, she played the psychopath, I played the evil teacher, it helped us to dissociate ourselves from the things we had to do. Split ourselves down the middle so to speak. Plus, we wanted to downplay her power so that the order might underestimate us- if they saw how well she recovered from Azkaban, they might have fought harder. So she used a few spells on her appearance to make it seem like she wasn't her former self any more, played a lunatic. It worked, she could do anything, we could send her to do strategic things, raids and assassinations and people would just pass it off as the chaos that any unhinged individual would cause. They never looked too hard when Bella was involved, which was fine by us."

Hermione could understand that. "I believe you, I just can't picture it. I can't picture her having a normal, calm conversation." She said eventually.

"I can show you, if you like, but not a word to Poppy. She'll have my head if she finds out I used advanced magic before my recovery period was over."

Hermione felt almost uneasy at being faced with Bellatrix once again, even if it was just through a memory. She remembered the house she was supposed to belong to.

"I would appreciate it, if you could." She agreed.

Severus nodded and after some little preparation, Hermione found herself plunged into a darkness which began to lift almost as fast as it had fallen.

Narcissa was sitting across from her, a book in her lap and a glass of red wine in her hand. The library was dim and warm. Behind her sat a death eater, a young, clean shaven man who was hunched inside his robes and furiously writing something down on a sheet of parchment. Hermione supposed this was Malfoy Manor when it was being used as a base for the dark lord. There were a few moments quiet before the door to the library swung open and Bellatrix walked in, looking rather civilian in her simple black robes but no less hauntingly beautiful. Her dark curls were piled up on top of her head and pinned. Messy suited her just as much as formal styling- beautiful as she was most things did suit her, as was the thin privilege of her inheritance of the Black family's Great Good Looks.

Upon seeing her, the death eater that was scribbling behind her started to sob.

"Alright, I know I'm not the most highly sought-after company but I've never actually made someone cry as I've entered the room." The eldest Black said indignantly.

"Yes you have." Narcissa interjected. "Like teachers. And relatives. And women being fitted for wedding dresses."

"Mmm, that was quite an afternoon, wasn't it?" Bellatrix joked. Severus grunted in amusement and Bellatrix sat down besides her sister who was shaking her head with a poorly suppressed smile.

"Is he… _Okay_?" Bellatrix gestured to the crying death eater.

"He's fine, he just completed his first raid." Snape said as if that explained everything.

As he said it, the young man got up and fled the room. Narcissa said something about there being no fire and Bellatrix used magic to close the door after him.

"He killed a muggle and then his friend was taken by aurors." Snape elaborated further as Bellatrix pulled a face.

"If you say so." She sighed, reaching into Narcissa's lap and stealing the book from right under her reading eyes.

"Excuse me." Narcissa said in mock apology for her sister's manners.

"Excuse you…" Bellatrix repeated absentmindedly as she flicked through the pages, propping her head up with one hand, her elbow rested on the arm of the sofa.

"It's a good job you're my sister." Narcissa muttered.

"Yes because we all know that if I weren't you'd be stood to duel me right here right now." Bellatrix said sarcastically, not taking her eyes from her book.

"I could win in a duel against you!" Narcissa said defensively.

"If I was dead." Bellatrix agreed with a smirk.

Narcissa settled to read the book over her sister's shoulder and a couple of seconds later Hermione found herself back on the balcony with her potions master.

"It wasn't much but it was, at least, Bella. Just… as she was. I could show you more, but I'm afraid it'll have to wait until tomorrow- I haven't the strength for much more."

Hermione's eyes were staring off into the distance. Night had fallen around them. "That's alright, thank you. I have a lot to think about."

Severus understood how she must feel. "Come, you must return to your dormitory, you look as though you could use some sleep."

Hermione still didn't feel like she had left that library. "Yeah…" She agreed, not really knowing what she was agreeing to.

 _If I was dead._ The words kept running through her mind as Severus escorted her back through the castle and bid her good night. Bellatrix had been so different to how Hermione imagined her, she was calm and made sarcastic jokes and read books in the library. She had reminded Hermione of herself.

The young witch lay awake in bed replaying the memory in her mind until the fatigue of learning so much finally got to her and she slipped back into the darkness of her own head for the night.


	4. Chapter 4

Bellatrix had haunted her dreams in a much more considerate but no less painful way that night. She had been soft and quiet and Hermione hadn't been able to reach her no matter how hard she had tried. When she finally awoke she felt ill, and spontaneously cried for about forty minutes before pulling herself together, pushing down the feeling of being inescapably alone, and dressing to visit Snape. She knew she was due to pass out again soon, her head still throbbing even as she knocked on the door to Snape's office.  
The door opened and Snape looked severe, but upon recognising who it was, he smiled. "Ah. Forgive me, I assumed you someone else." He stepped out of the way and Hermione entered the room.  
"Anyone in particular?" She asked.  
"I am expecting a visit from the headmistress."  
Hermione watched as he closed the door behind them. "Oh. So early?"  
"She didn't specify a time." He said, as if the fact irritated him greatly.  
"That's unlike her." Hermione frowned.  
"It's more like her than you realise. Anyhow- you're early yourself."  
Hermione leaned against the cabinet that she now knew Severus kept alcohol hidden in.  
"Yes… I wanted to tell you that… well, after sleeping on it, and although there's still a lot I want to know… I-" Hermione sighed. "I want to go through with it. I want to save her." More emotions ran through her voice that she would have imagined. Snape looked caught off guard. "Really?" He asked, somewhat dumbly.  
Hermione nodded. "Although I'd like to talk to Mrs Malfoy about it. I feel she would know how best to handle her, when the time comes."  
Snape took a deep breath and raised his eyebrows. "Well, yes, Narcissa undoubtably would. However, the Malfoys are currently under house arrest and I can't imagine getting in to see them would be easy."  
"It doesn't need to be right away. Just… before I go back." Snape nodded. "I'll see what I can do. And Hermione-" He held out his hand. "Thank you. On my behalf and Bella's." He finished, shaking her hand. She smiled weakly. "Let's just hope I can pull it off before I drop dead."  
Before he could answer, there was a rapid tapping at the door. Snape made a sound of tedium. "Enter." He said, sounding much more like his old self than the man Hermione had come to recognise over the last few days.  
A second later Minerva bustled in. She caught sight of Hermione and looked at her sympathetically. "Oh, Hermione, how are you feeling? Things must be so hard at the moment." She said, looking at the dark circles under her eyes. "The minister sends his sincere apologies." She added.  
Apologies? Hermione thought, confused, I'm not dead yet.  
"No need for apologies." Snape said austerely. "Miss Granger?" He motioned at her to share her decision with her head of house.  
"I'm going back." She said straightforwardly, not sure what the elaborating would achieve when they all knew exactly what she meant. "What?" Minerva looked mortified. "You heard Miss Granger." Snape said to the professor firmly. Hermione was taken aback to hear him speak to the headmistress as if she were nothing more than one of his least favourite Gryffindor students, a slow drawl with an unmoving expression and hard eyes. "No, you can't, you-" The professor started to rush towards Hermione with her arms out, like she was going to plead with her as a supplicant to change her mind. In a moment Snape stood half in front of the brunette, his arm out and his wand pointing firmly along in the same direction to give his barrier further length. He was an imposing man when he needed to be and the headmistress stopped in her tracks. The static between them as they glared each other out was enough to make Hermione's own magic fizz to the surface, crackling quietly and restlessly along her wand which she had instinctively reached for. The head of Gryffindor looked murderous. "That will be all, professor." Severus said icily, dismissing the woman as if she had served the course of a detention. His eyes stayed like marble. "Miss Granger will be beginning her training immediately."  
He stressed every syllable of the last word deliberately enough that you could hear each letter. The older witch glared at him mutinously for a few more moments before walking out in such a fury that Hermione cringed as the door slammed. Snape relaxed his protective stance from in front of Hermione. "You will need to watch out for her from now on." He said, heavily. Hermione couldn't understand the reaction. "Why is she so angry?"  
Severus threw his wand onto the table with a clatter, no longer in need of it. "Because you were meant to die. She didn't expect you to fight, she expected your sense of justice and lack of information would make you blind. Of course she's angry, I expect she is terrified."  
Hermione stared at the door Minerva had left through in confusion. "Why would she be terrified? Terrified of what?"  
Snape motioned for her to sit down and he began looking through his bookshelf for something. "Of you, obviously." He said over his shoulder. "If you bring Bellatrix back, the two of you will be a force to easily outmatch the ministry, in both strength and intelligence. However, she never truly anticipated it would come to pass. Now she is realising you are not going to be as easy to manipulate as she intended."  
Hermione watched as Severus heaved a leatherback book over to her. He put it on the table between the two chairs with a thud and took the seat opposite her. "But she told me not to tell anyone so I would be safe, she said that there were a lot of people in the world that didn't like Bella and that they would go to drastic lengths to keep her gone."  
Snape looked at her pointedly. "Yes, who did you think she was referring to?"  
"You think she was implying herself?"  
"I wouldn't put it past her. As far as keeping you silent, yes, I can imagine that would be convenient for her. Then in a months time, you'd be gone and there would be no need for anyone to know about anything. No one could point a finger at her if you died from a mysterious illness."  
Hermione felt her stomach twist. "You're not joking are you?" She said, her mouth dry. "It pains me that I am not." Snape confirmed. "But that future will not happen- depending on your academic ability, which I have in good confidence is rather prodigious. So let's start with animagus theory. Page 394."  
Hermione snorted with sudden laughter. Snape raised his eyebrows. "You wont remember," Hermione said, still smiling, "But you directed our class to page 394 in our third year and it's been a long standing joke ever since." Snape looked thoughtful. "As a matter of fact, I remember very well, werewolves and animagi. How ironic. I do apologise for my rudeness, by the by, but it was necessary. You were my brightest student, if it's any consolation." Hermione felt her inner third year blush. "I cannot have made such an impression though," He continued, "As all these years later and you still can't manage it." He opened the book to the correct page with his wand and after a moments silence, the two burst into a fit of giggles, the Potions Master still wheezing a little around the edges. For the next few hours, the two poured over the pages of the book Severus had produced. Hermione's ability to absorb and retain information was just as formidable as it had been last he had taught her, and he had a good feeling that she would quickly adapt to this new form of complex magic. She already had the basic theory down, and was starting to piece together the details to understand the whole process more in depth. By lunch time, Hermione was exhausted, and Severus asked an elf to fetch them some lunch. Hermione had been so caught up in learning about something she found so fascinating, she had temporarily forgotten about her predicament. She hadn't even begun to think about the other half of what Snape was asking of her, but after finding she had been so wrong about Bellatrix, the Gryffindor had to admit that she was starting to question if maybe The Potions Master would be right about the war, too.  
However, her hands had begun to shake and her balance wasn't right, and she could feel her heart beat in her head. Severus had taken that as a sign to conclude the lesson for the day, and Hermione now sat eating some of the bread and fruit that the elves had brought them, hoping to prolong her time awake before the inevitable unconsciousness that was creeping over the horizon.  
"How am I going to learn all of this if I'm to spend half of my time out cold in bed?" Hermione asked, voicing one of her newer fears.  
Severus looked pensive. "I expect you will learn just fine even if you spent more than half of your time unconscious. The learning won't hinder you in the least, I have every faith, it shall be the practice that will really take it out of you. It takes a lot of energy- not something you have much of a surplus of at the moment."  
Hermione had to agree with that. "My dreams are so vivid I wake up feeling just as tired as when I went to sleep." She admitted, tearing off a chunk of bread and nibbling at it.  
Snape made a sound of agreement. "Mmm," He said, "I remember it well."  
Hermione had nearly forgotten that he would have gone through the same thing with Lily.  
"I don't suppose you ever found any way around it?" She asked glumly.  
"No, not around it. Not entirely. There is a potion that I can brew for you which will help you feel less drained but the dreams remain." He said, his tone telling her it was not a new struggle to him at all.  
"I'll make some up this afternoon- in the mean time, take that book somewhere safe and go over anything that you don't remember completely enough to explain to a first year without help."  
"Somewhere safe?"  
"Yes, away from… interference from third parties."  
"Does that mean the professor, sir?"  
"I suppose I cannot speak ill of a colleague." Severus said, nodding his head theatrically. Hermione couldn't help but smile- the potion's master actually had quite a sense of humour. "She has access to everywhere I have access to." Hermione pointed out.  
"She hasn't access to the Slytherin common room."  
"Nor do I."  
Snape "The new password is Vivum Mortem, I shall show you to the place the passage reveals itself now if you'd like." Hermione was strangely unopposed to the idea. In fact, she was quite curious to see the place, having missed out at her last opportunity with the cat hair fiasco. "Well, if you think it would be a better place to study." She answered, secretly hoping he wouldn't notice her enthusiasm.  
Finishing off a piece of bread, the potion's master stood. "Shall we?"  
Hermione joined him in standing and scooped the heavy book from the table, surprised at how much effort it took.  
"Allow me." Severus offered, holding out his hands to take the book from her faltering body.  
She smiled appreciatively and handed it over, swaying a little. "Thanks…"  
Snape lead her, at a slower pace than usual to account for Hermione's deteriorating strength, to the dungeons, and stopped after a while in front of a blank piece of wall. "Vivum Mortem." He said, clearly. The bricks slowly folded away to reveal a passage way. There was no annoying fat lady, or sickly red banners here, Hermione noticed as she followed her way into the common room. It wasn't what she had expected. It was huge, with a grand, if slightly cold, atmosphere, a green tinge to the dim light and tapestries hanging from all of the walls with portraits of what Hermione assumed must have been famous (or infamous) Slytherins from throughout the ages. She knew half of the common room was under the lake, and took note of the shipwreck feel of the place. It didn't unnerve her though, and rather than feeling like a fish in a sandpit as she had expected to feel in another house's private space, she actually felt rather more relaxed than she had in days. There were book cases, and lots of black sofas, fire places and even a couple of skulls dotted around. All in all, it was quintessentially Slytherin. She wondered if it had looked like this when Bellatrix had attended Hogwarts. Probably. The brunette tried not to notice how casually Bellatrix popped into her head nowadays. "You may stay here and return here as you like. I'll come back every now and again to check… well…" He motioned at her and Hermione knew he meant 'In case your life bond to a dead woman knocks you out again in its quest to kill you'. That was hard to say though, wasn't it?"  
"Thank you. I think I'll grow to like it." Snape smiled at the admission and left her alone to get comfortable. She spent an hour on the book until she was absolutely certain that if a first year with a knowledge fetish should apprehend her, she could reel off enough information to satisfy. Once that was done, she found herself browsing the bookshelves. She had found one in particular which to her delight, contained all the year books dating back to before she was born. As she read the silvery titles against the green leather, one caught her eyes. It was the year book which she assumed Bellatrix would be in. She plucked it from the shelf and padded back the the closest sofa to the fire she had lit, grateful for the relief of sitting down. Flicking through the pages, she scanned each face until her hart fluttered and she found herself staring right into the dark eyes that plagued her sleep. Bellatrix didn't look so different then as Hermione remembered her to look now. She was sat straight on a rigid and ornate dark-wood chair, as were all the other students in their photos, her hair falling around her shoulders in well managed curls. Her Slytherin robes suited her immensely. Her complexion was just as pale as always and her her lips were obviously very red, despite the sepia picture. Every so often, she would look past the camera and roll her eyes, shifting slightly and then sighing heavily. At one point she must have looked right at the camera because to Hermione it felt as though she was looking right through the paper and at her. There was something akin to amusement in her eyes and Hermione remembered the memory Severus had shown her, how the older black sister had joked so casually with her sister. Hermione laughed a little as teenage Bellatrix turned around and stuck her middle finger up at an offending person off the the left not included in the photograph. Hermione couldn't help but feel slightly fond, as if she had been there and was looking back on good times.  
For some reason she couldn't put her finger on considering the whole school was empty, Hermione looked around to check no one was watching. Then, she parted the page where it opened to allow the picture to slide in behind the pre printed frame and, delighted to find that it wasn't stuck down with anything, slipped the picture out of the book. She placed the book back where she had found it and then, still clutching the photograph, lay back down on the couch to watch it until she fell asleep. 


	5. Chapter 5

Snape had found Hermione an hour later when he had, as promised, come to see if she was still conscious: she was not. He had brewed the potion, but too late it seemed. The Gryffindor was asleep, too deeply by that point for Severus to bring her round from the bond's grip, on the sofa, firelight lighting her up to look less depleted than she actually was. The book was neatly on the table, and the potions master assumed that she had finished the task he had set long before she had retired to the sofa.

Unsure how he was going to get her to Gryffindor Tower, he had instead settled for taking her to the Head Girl's dorm in the Slytherin dungeons. Putting her in a room which was going to need to at some point be returned to the actual Slytherin head girl, however, would be a short sighted one. He decided that he would take her to the old Head Girl's room, a little further down into the maze of dungeons. If he remembered rightly, no one had used it since Bellatrix had inhabited it in 1969. Not than anyone would know that Bellatrix had ever been a Head Girl- Dumbledore had erased all mention of that in an attempt not to influence any more Slytherins into going off the rails. Snape rolled his eyes.

He was about to levitate Hermione from the sofa when something caught his eye.

In her hands, a small photograph was almost falling from her weak grip. He pulled it from her hand and wasn't sure if he was surprised or not to see 18 year old Bellatrix staring up at him. It didn't last long, as she quickly lost focus and turned to flip someone off in the background. It was clearly a school photo, and it didn't take the potions master long to notice the yearbooks had been disturbed. He supposed curiosity had gotten the better of her. No one could blame her for that.

He tucked the photo into his pocket while he attempted to deal with moving Hermione. It took him a while to get her to the disused dorm, but once he had he couldn't help but feel slightly satisfied in that McGonagall would never be able to find her. He lay the girl's wand on the bedside table and wrote an explanatory note for when she awoke.

He propped the note up by her wand, and stood the tiny cork bottle of pearlescent potion beside it. As a last thought, he pulled the picture of Bellatrix from his robes and left that there, too. He wouldn't be the one stupid or cruel enough to take it from her.

With a last look, Snape left the green and silver gilded dormitory and returned to his office to plan how he was going to teach a terminally ill school girl how to use magic that fed off life force.

The first time Hermione awoke was just over a day later, at an ungodly time in the morning. She decided almost immediately to go back to sleep, and to investigate where she was when there was day light, when she saw the note Severus had left. Unable to resist, Hermione reached out and groped for her wand, lighting its tip with a tired, "lumos'.

 _Hermione,_

 _You passed out in the Slytherin common room before I could give you the potion- this room is an old Head Girl's room that is no longer used._

 _Bellatrix was the last one to use it, and I thought it might help with the dreams in the absence of any medication._

 _The elf that serves the room is called Hessy, call her if you need anything upon waking up._

 _I will have her bring your belongings here to prevent your needing to walk to get them from Gryffindor tower._

 _Do try not to do anything I wouldn't do._

 _-Severus._

Hermione peered around the room. This had been Bellatrix's room? Bellatrix had been Head Girl? She didn't remember ever being told that. Was this the same bed Bellatrix had slept in the night she'd had that photograph taken? For some reason, Hermione blushed.

She set the note back down and pushed her wand out into the darkness to see the room better. It was typically Slytherin, and seeing her things amongst the green and silver made her feel strange. Not in a bad way, though.

She turned her wand back to the bedside table and her eyes got stuck on Bella again. Snape must have found the photograph on her. She hoped he didn't get angry at her for taking it out of the book.

Propping her wand up by her pillow, she picked up the picture and watched it a little more. She found it helped enormously to sort out her feelings on the whole issue. The longer she watched Bellatrix in the photograph, and thought of the memory Severus had shown her, the calmer she felt about the situation. Well, the calmer she felt in general.

Sighing, she put the picture back, and extinguished her wand.

Falling asleep was not difficult and Hermione was desperate to forget everything and lose herself in her dreams of Bellatrix for the last few hours of the night.

Hermione woke not to tears this time around. She got up. She dressed. She grabbed her wand tightly and rather then stowing it in her sleeve she kept it in her hand. With a set face, she flung the bedroom door open and marched down the Slytherin passageways, up into the school, and out into the grounds.

She strode across the grass and with one slash of her wand, then another, then another, cloaked figures appeared all around her. Watching from the balcony he so often frequented, Severus remained passive as Hermione began to hex, curse, and jinx her way though them. Once sufficiently battered, they fell to the floor, disappeared, and then re-appeared in another random location nearby.

Severus was surprised to see they were beginning to fire spells back, and more surprised to see Hermione deflecting and countering them like they were nothing. Fighting three to one, she whirled around on the spot like the lead in a ballet, flashes and cracks and sparks showering onto the grass.

 _It has begun._ Severus thought, seeing Bellatrix's dark curls rather than Hermione's golden waves as the girl fought like an animal. This was it, the final descent.

The potions master wondered how long it would be before the fighting drew Minerva out from her den. He snorted, he would like to see the hag go against Hermione now; it wouldn't be long, he knew, before Hermione turned on _anyone_ that was acting so outspokenly against her getting to Bella. Minerva would have to watch her back if she was to continue acting so foolishly.

The figures began to close in on Hermione, now gradually taking more hits before they went down defeated, and just as Snape was beginning to worry Hermione was going to be taken down by figments of her own magic, a blast omitted from the Gryffindor's wand that was so powerful it made the loose ends of her observers hair sway, even from his great distance. All of the figures were blown into shreds, and didn't reappear. Hermione stood panting and almost sent another hex as Scottish tones invaded her space.

"Miss Granger! What on earth are you doing?!" The old woman was strutting across the grass like she'd gone rabid and Severus rolled his eyes.

"Professor." Hermione said through gritted teeth. It was the first time she'd seen the woman since Severus had tipped her off to her agenda.

"Has this school not seen its fair share of fighting? You are in no state to be-"

"I am perfectly fine!" Hermione shouted with her back still to the professor, unsure of where her hostility was coming from, or why she could not control it.

The professor didn't stop. "You are wasting yourself in this _madness_ in pursuing a dead wom-"

Hermione whirled around and her wand was in Minerva's face before the woman could finish her sentence. Hermione hadn't been this livid since Ron had returned to her and Harry after walking off and leaving them alone and on the run for two weeks.

Snape raised his eyebrows and despite wanting with his every fibre to start chanting 'fight' and watch his colleague learn what she was dealing with, he instead turned on the spot and apparated a couple of feet behind Minerva.

The woman's jaw was on the floor at the sight of Hermione threatening her, and Hermione's face seemed to be indicating great self control in not going any further.

Snape swept past the head of Gryffindor and took Hermione's arm through his own as if they were going on a stroll. Hermione's wand didn't leave its aim at her professor's chest and her eyes didn't blink.

"Lesson time, Miss Granger." He said smoothly, beginning to pull her towards the castle.

"Severus! She drew her wand at me! All this over a raving-"

Apparently Minerva had not learned the first time, and Snape only just caught Hermione's shoulders as she lunged at the professor .

"Keep provoking the girl and you'll have _my_ wand drawn at you." Snape half shouted as he dragged a struggling Hermione into a side-long apparition back to his office.

When the two landed Hermione screamed into her arm and punched the wall so hard that she was forced to calm down whilst Severus mended the bones in her hand.

"Why am I so angry?!" Hermione almost sobbed.

"It's perfectly normal. It is just unfortunate that the Professor is determined to underestimate you. Hold still."

Hermione flinched as her Hand snapped and cracked as the boned knitted back together.

"I attacked a teacher. Oh my god I attacked a _teacher_."

"I wouldn't worry about it." Severus said, satisfied that her had fixed her hand thoroughly. "There's nothing she can do."

"Nothing she can do?! She can have me expelled!" Hermione cried.

"And how would she explain randomly expelling the golden girl, one of the greatest heroes of the magical world of our time, without risking divulging your secret? She could not. I think it unlikely that she would put herself in the line of fire in such a way- no. She will stay quiet to keep the situation as within her control as she can imagine it to be. That way she can continue to delude herself that this will all blow over, and that no one will ever find out."

Hermione had no argument for that, but continued to seethe.

"If it alleviates your mood, I do have some good news." The potions master said after a moment. He had almost forgotten.

Hermione looked up at him from her seat.

"Mrs Malfoy has agreed to meet with you. Well- she has agreed to take a visitor, she does not know who. I thought it would be easier to arrange the whole thing if your name wasn't involved, since the ministry seems bent on giving you an entourage everywhere you go and I thought that might draw too much attention."

Hermione most certainly did feel better. "Really? Oh thank god for that- thank you, Severus."

"Not at all. You will be meeting her this afternoon at half past four. Until then, back to the book. For all intents and purposes, I am now a first year, and I want very much to know the ins and outs of Animagus transformation."

Until half past three, Hermione explained over and over to Snape the intricacies of becoming an animagi. Finally, he had relented in his questions, knowing full well that his student had mastered every aspect of it already. He let her go back to her new room to take a shower and prepare for her meeting with Narcissa, much to Hermione's gratefulness considering her nerves.

She had showered as slowly as she could afford to, hoping the water might help to relax her. Marginally, it had, and Hermione felt slightly calmer as she magically dried her hair in front of the mirror. She chose to wear black witch's robes; she didn't agree with Narcissa's pure-blood world views, but had respect enough to understand that she was going into someone else's home, and that dressing in muggle clothing probably wouldn't help her case. Hessy helped her to put her hair up, something she wouldn't usually have done but she found herself unable to stop herself from fiddling with it as anxiety began to build once more. The elf was uncontrollably excited to be back in direct service once more, and even more so when she recognised the mark on Hermione's arm.

The Gryffindor was surprised that Hessy could remember such an obscure detail from so long ago, but the elf did, and she also seemed to remember Bellatrix herself in great detail, something Hermione had filed away in her mind to bring up with her later. Bellatrix, the elf had said reverently, was very kind to Hessy, and Hessy was most glad to be in the service of Bellatrix's soulmate.

Once her hair was finished, pinned beautifully to the back of her head in an intricate pattern of plaits and loops, Hermione tucked her wand into her sleeve and climbed the stairs back to Severus' office.

He raised his eyebrows at her. "You look like you're going on a date."

Hermione blushed. "I had to put my hair up, I kept fiddling with it."

Snape at least sympathised. "Don't be so nervous, Narcissa is not nearly as bad as her reputation would have you assume."

"I really hope not."

Snape stood and offered his arm, and hoping that this wasn't going to turn out to be another one of those idea's that got her into a situation of life and death, Hermione disappeared into a side-long apparition for the second time that day.

 **A/N: Don't hate me, the next update will be soon :)**


	6. Chapter 6

They apparated without issue to Malfoy manor. Snape rang the doorbell and Hermione noted with some unease the Aurors that stood guard by the gates. They really _were_ under house arrest.

Narcissa opened the door, her gaze sweeping over both of them before stepping aside to let them in. The brunette assumed the rather choice wards around the house had been taken down.

Hermione spotted Draco peeking out from a doorway down the hallway and she smiled at him weakly, unable to find the strength to keep up their childish feud any longer. He had aged a few years since she had last seen him, his eyes looked heavy and his jaw was more angular. He looked much more like a young man than the first year boy she always thought of in her mind when his name was mentioned in conversation. To her surprise he smiled weakly back before Narcissa blocked her view of him as she leaned in and kissed Severus' cheek in greeting. Once she had asked Severus if he was well, the woman turned to Hermione with a questioning look. It certainly wasn't what Hermione had been expecting from the youngest Black sister.

Realising this pause in the social norms was a cue for the brunette to explain herself, Hermione floundered with what to say. The potions master almost stepped in to help her when he saw her struggling, but he felt it was important Hermione did as much of this herself as possible.

Not having found anything in her swirling mind to help her in anyway, Hermione gave up on normal conversing and instead proffered her wrist, looking down at her feet as if she'd done something wrong.

Narcissa gasped audibly and looked back to Severus for some indication that she had misinterpreted. He only nodded.

Draco frowned as he watched the scene unfold, unable to see what Hermione had done to gain such a reaction from his mother. Before he could think to ask, Narcissa led Hermione and Severus into the library and he was left wondering.

Hermione had hesitated before taking the seat she was offered. Narcissa was sat at one end of the sofa, as she had been in the memory Severus had shown her, and the side which was left to Hermione had been the same side she'd seen Bellatrix using. Not wanting to look strange, she sat anyway, feeling it odd that the room was so familiar despite her never having physically been there before.

Severus did not sit. "I will leave the two of you to talk. I trust Hermione will be able to fully communicate her reasons for coming to visit you." He said pointedly, letting Hermione know she was to tell Narcissa as much as she liked.

"Yes… Thank you, Severus."

Hermione looked mildly alarmed that she was being left alone, but the potions master knew he could not stay for too long. He bowed, and left the room.

Outside her found Draco sat on the stairs with his elbows on his knees and his chin on his knuckles. He raised his eyes dejectedly to his old Potions teacher in recognition. He looked thoroughly depressed, despite being the only one in the house that had been cleared of house arrest. Severus assumed the boy had little motivation to go into the public.

"You know," The potions master said, pausing in front of the blonde. "I'm sure Miss Granger would benefit greatly from your friendship."

" _Miss Granger_ hates me." Draco replied, not sounding like he blamed her for it.

"She smiled at you did she not? Try. She is much more a Slytherin that you'd guess. I think the two of you would get along, and if so you'd have your means of leaving this manor without getting attacked. I'm sure she would be happy to accompany you shopping."

Draco looked at Severus as if he'd gone mad. "I'm fairly sure the only thing I could say to Hermione to persuade her to help me with _anything_ would be the words 'assisted' and 'suicide'."

Snape gave him a look. "Just talk to her, you'd be surprised- she hasn't the time to be making more enemies at the moment anyhow."

Draco looked to the library door. "Why is she here? What is she talking with mother about?"

"Not that it's my business to tell you, but your classmate has made a recent discovery which relates her to your aunt."

"Which one?"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "The only one your mother would speak of."

"To aunt Bella? Wait, you surely don't mean Hermione's her-"

"I'll leave it to your imagination, Draco- if you really wish to know more, ask _Hermione_."

The youngest Malfoy now looked to have renewed life in him. He was more interested in this than he'd been interested in anything for the last few months combined. He knew his aunt had a soulmate somewhere, he'd seen the mark on her wrist, but he found it an overwhelmingly strange concept that that soul mate might be Hermione.

"Perhaps I will." He said, feeling suddenly like he had, at least for a day, gotten some form of purpose back.

"Good. I will see you soon, undoubtably." Snape said farewell and apparated.

Draco was left on the stairs to think over this new opportunity.

Back in the library, Narcissa was continuing to surprise. Not once had she come across as cold or arrogant, she had asked how Hermione was doing- knowing already the her sister's death heralded the girls.

Hermione hadn't been sure what to say. Physically she was coping, she supposed. Mentally? Well, she was getting by. Hermione had just finished explaining the last incident with McGonagall when Severus had left the mansion. Narcissa, as she had bid Hermione to call her, much to the Gryffindor's shock, was entirely sympathetic to her position and had advised her that Minerva would probably continue to be a bother. Hermione had agreed. She took a deep breath- she had not yet told Narcissa the full story, she hadn't told her of her plans to go back, only that McGonagall had behaved differently towards her now that this new information had been uncovered.

"So, I… _Severus_ and I decided that I would use my time turner in an attempt to save your sister. And perhaps, if that goes to plan, to change the entire course of the war."

Narcissa gawped. "You… Really?"

Hermione shrugged. "Gryffindor, I suppose. We just won't die quietly."

Narcissa laughed a little, still staring at the girl. "Well… Of course, I fully support your intentions, I would like nothing more than to have my sister back, she and Draco were… _are_ my world. And to see her finally find you after all she went through…" Narcissa trailed off.

"I'm not sure she'll see it that way." Hermione admitted, voicing her fears.

Narcissa chuckled. "Don't believe everything you read in the papers, dear, we both know the sort of people who write them."

Hermione glowered at the thought of Rita Skeeta getting a hold of this.

"Narcissa?" Hermione asked, the informality feeling weird on her tongue.

"Mm?"

"The last time I was here…" Hermione said awkwardly. "Severus does not believe that it was Bellatrix."

Hermione glanced up to the blonde, hoping she would understand what she meant.

For a moment the woman looked unsure, before her eyes widened a little and she sat up slightly. "Oh, no, _no_ , goodness no. Severus is a perceptive man. The unfortunate character you met that day was my brother-in-law."

"Rudolphus?"

Narcissa nodded. "Pig." She commented. Hermione had never felt so relieved.

"How… _Why_ did that come about?"

The blond sighed heavily. "A long time before that day, Rudolphus had a quarrel with some of the other death eaters. He argued that he was under appreciated and underestimated. He did not like that people showed more respect to Bella than to him. He did not think that women should have any place out of the kitchen." Narcissa reached up to let her hair down, mild disgust lining her features. "Bellatrix being Bellatrix couldn't care less what he thought, but Rod was _insistent_. One night, after several weeks of us hearing nothing but whining from him, he came in here, more than drunk, and demanded that the next time something 'big' happened that he would be allowed to take polyjuice and assume his wife's role. To prove he could do just as adequate a job as she could."

Narcissa snorted. "Well, the time came and he had been carrying unassigned polyjuice around on him for a fortnight. He found out about your capture, and grudgingly but altogether rather gladly, Bella threw a strand of hair at him. She knew damn fine no good was going to come of the situation if you three were involved, it never did. You always managed to come out on top. Anyhow, Rod was not nearly so bright, and he took the polyjuice as he had threatened. Bellatrix went home to sleep, I believe. Rod was too focused on trying to scare, he gained no information and ultimately, the three of you escaped. When the dark lord had found out what had happened, Rod was almost killed. The dark lord was less angry about the escape as he was that Rod had attempted to turn back to himself and blame the whole debacle on the real Bella.

He did not pull the lie off, and he was punished." Narcissa sighed.

"So you may relax there- Bella was not to blame."

"Rudolphus sounds… charming."

Narcissa rolled her eyes, looking a lot like her sister had in her school photo. "I've never been so glad to see a man dead."

Hermione looked up at her. "He's dead?"

Narcissa nodded. "He was killed in the final battle by one on the schools statues. Taken down by a largely inanimate object, a fitting death."

Hermione smiled. "It sounds like he deserved it."

"Most certainly. I loathe anyone who thinks they can treat my family as such. Including Minerva."

"I didn't realise Minerva had a feud with you." Hermione said, trying to think of a time the two witch's could have fallen out so.

"She has treated you awfully." Narcissa said, almost scornful.

Hermione frowned. "But I'm not… family."

The blonde frowned. "My dear, of course you are family." She reached for Hermione's wrist and uncovered it from her sleeve, tracing her thumb over the black lotus flower. "This means you are family. It means you have always been family. No matter what comes to pass, you are a sister of mine."

Hermione almost felt the urge to start crying. She hadn't realised how desperately she had been hoping for the woman's approval.

"Thank you." She said genuinely. "It means a lot."

Narcissa's eyes crinkled at the corners with her smile. "If you could wait here just a moment, there is something I believe you should have."

Hermione nodded and Narcissa stood from beside her and left the room.

Upon seeing his mother leave Hermione unattended, Draco, who was still on the stairs, saw what might be his only his opportunity for a long time to try and patch things up with his former enemy. He stood, and straightened his shoulders as best he could, and slipped into the library before his mother could come back and stop him.

Hermione was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't hear him enter the room.

"Um, hi." He said, feeling foolish but determined.

Hermione nearly jumped out of her skin. "Oh, Draco. I didn't hear the door. Hi." She said, tucking a strand of hair which had come loose by her face behind her ear.

"I, uh…" Draco perched nervously on the edge of the desk to Hermione's right. "Sorry." He sighed, eventually. "For being such a git for so long."

Hermione was taken aback- it was like Malfoy family surprise day. "Oh. That's… Fine." Hermione stumbled. She had never expected that this conversation would ever happen. "I mean, you were under your expectations, I was under mine. Sorry for punching you in the face that time."

Draco was so pleased to hear that Hermione wasn't going to tell him to piss off, he almost hugged her. "I kind of deserved it." He said dejectedly. "Not that I don't still."

Hermione shrugged, resolving to try and make friends, considering they were, as Mrs Malfoy had just pointed out, sort of family now. "Forget it all." She said. "I'm probably going to receive a few from old friends myself, in the coming weeks."

Draco looked curiously at her, remembering what Severus had told him. "You're Bella's soulmate, aren't you?" He asked slowly, in a hushed voice as if people might be trying to overhear.

Hermione nodded.

"Is that why you're here? To tell my mother?" Draco had almost forgotten they hadn't been on speaking terms for the last seven years, so elated he was to have someone his own age to talk to who wasn't hurling slurs at him.

"Well…" Hermione fiddled with her sleeve. "I'm dying. Bella's dead, and so the mark is killing me. I'm here to discuss with your mother going back to save her. I have a time turner." She added, as if that was the one thing in what she had said which was out of the ordinary.

Draco hadn't thought about that aspect of the bond. "Hell." He said, finally. "No baggage, then."

Hermione laughed. "No, no baggage."

"How are you planning on saving her?" Draco asked, moving to sit on the opposite couch. He looked genuinely interested.

Hermione shrugged. "I'm trying to learn to be an animagus so that I can go back into the battle and be seen without shredding time or whatever is meant to happen when you're seen in the past. I only have a month though. Severus is tutoring me. Minerva is beside her self."

Draco smirked. "I bet she is." He looked downcast. "I suppose she'll be another one that will go out of her way to make my life a misery once we go back."

Hermione sighed. "You and me both. I'm staying in the Slytherin dorms just to get away from her."

Draco perked up immediately. "Maybe you'll be allowed to stay once term resumes."

The brunette couldn't say the thought hadn't crossed her mind. "Maybe." She agreed.

They were interrupted by Narcissa. "Draco." She said, confused at the sight of her son socialising. He had stayed his room almost exclusively since the war had ended, not one of his old friends had been allowed to see him and they rarely wrote.

"Sorry mother," The blonde said, immediately rising from his seat. "I didn't mean to intrude."

He smiled at Hermione. "See you around." He said, almost hopefully.

Hermione nodded and returned the smile. He left, and Narcissa stood motionless and watched him go.

"I didn't realise you were at all close with Draco." The woman said, after a few moments. Hermione turned around to look at her. "I'm not. Well, I _wasn't_. I agreed with him that we should forget all the silly stuff that had happened over the years. He was interested in how things were going with me. He sounded hopeful that I might remain in the Slytherin dorms when he returns back to school. I can't say I'm opposed to the idea."

Narcissa blinked a few times to compose herself. "He hasn't heard a word from anyone since it all ended. He doesn't speak much and stays in his room. I must say I am surprised he has changed so abruptly but I am no less grateful for you giving him a chance. Here-" Narcissa handed her a pretty silver chain with a a very familiar crow's skull hanging from it.

"This is Bellatrix's." Hermione said, holding it up to the light.

"Yes. It holds a close link to me. If you need me… I'll know." Hermione felt overwhelmed again. "Thank you…"

Narcissa helped put in on and Hermione felt somehow better with it. It felt warm, despite the cold silver.

"Suits you. Minerva will spit feathers." Narcissa laughed wholeheartedly. "Honestly, though; if you need any help with your… undertaking. I will be happy to assist."

"The only thing I lack is understanding of is…Well… Bella." Hermione said honestly.

"Well, I can fix that. I can show you whatever you want to see. Within reason."

Hermione flushed a little and laughed. She didn't think she'd be able to stand if that aspect of Bella was beamed into her mind.

"I just… The only time I've ever actually met her was at the department of mysteries, I suppose. Severus said that I wouldn't have been old enough then, for the mark to appear. But it's the only true memory I have of her, disregarding the obvious."

Narcissa sympathised. Hermione wasn't in an easy position. "I can show you a few things, if it might make you feel better."

Hermione almost felt bad asking but agreed nevertheless.

Bellatrix was about seven years old but she already looked far beyond her years. She was talking with the house elf which was making the bed behind her.

"It could not happen." The house elf said.

"Yes, but what _if_." It sounded as though Bellatrix had been at this for a while.

"Well, Sax would suppose the unicorn would win, since it has secret powers, whereas troll do not."

"But unicorns are peaceful, what if the unicorn refused to fight?"

The elf smiled. " _Then_ Sax would suppose the troll would win."

Narcissa was all of four years old, but like her sister, was already at the same level as many children beyond her age.

"Why would you want them to fight?" She asked, waving her legs around as they dangled from the edge of the chair.

Bellatrix smoothed her skirts down and made an exasperated face at her baby sister. "Well I'm not saying they _should_ , just what _if_."

The memory rapidly faded in to another and the lighting changed. The green hues of the Slytherin common room enveloped her, and Bellatrix was throwing screwed up balls of paper into the fire. A witch of shocking resemblance to her sat beside her, and Narcissa sat at a right angle to them. Bellatrix looked to be in her sixth or seventh year, the witch beside her, Andromeda, Hermione assumed, looked to be in her fourth year, and Narcissa, her second year.

"Bellatrix is that your homework?" The youngest asked.

"Potentially." Bellatrix said, continuing to tear chunks off from around the edges of the sheet of parchment.

"McGonagall will _kill_ you if she sees it in that state." Andromeda chastised.

"That would be terribly ambitious of her." Bellatrix smirked, and her sisters couldn't argue. Bella was a formidable witch already. She threw another ball into the fire.

"She hates me anyway, I'm not here to please her."

A third memory took over and this time the light of autumnal out doors took over.

"Will you _fuck off!"_ Bellatrix threw a plant pot at a man in purple robes.

"Now now, Bells," He said, patronisingly, dodging the missile.

"Don't call me Bells!" She all but screamed. She looked about twenty now. She threw another plant pot, which was also dodged.

"Rudolphus, leave her alone before she really _does_ attack you." Narcissa said, tired of his presence.

"Don't tell me what to do, woman-" He turned long enough for Bellatrix to purse her lips and aim another stone plant pot at him, smashing it clean over his head from ten meters.

"Told you." Narcissa said, going back to her book and he fell unconscious on his face, his head bleeding and covered in soil and unrooted pansies. She left him there.

"I will not marry him!" Bellatrix cried at her sister, as if at any point Narcissa had said otherwise.

"Bella, it wont be a _real_ marriage. You probably wont even _see_ him after the day, no one can _force_ you to spend time with him. Just get it over with and hope a few more plant pots land on him soon."

Bella's face clearly betrayed her thoughts as she began looking around for more plant pots she could drop on him.

" _No_ , Bella, you _can't_ murder him on the bloody patio."

Bellatrix stopped and pulled a face that said 'says who?' before going back to her scavenge for heavy objects. She found an ornamental boulder, and used magic to levitate it up. With a sigh, Narcissa put her book down and strode over to her sister, carelessly stepping on the unconscious man's crotch. She hated him as much as Bella did.

She caught her sister by the wrist and started to drag her away, the boulder crashing to the floor a meter or so from Rudolphus' body as the older sister lost her concentration on the spell that was suspending it.

Bellatrix struggled, but the memory faded before Hermione could catch the insult she had shouted.

The last memory flickered up and Bellatrix looked destroyed. She was in a very small black silk night dress and was perched on a window seat, surrounded by dim candle light, her knees up to her chest.

"Bella, _open the door_. He's gone. Your house elf _bit_ him."

Bellatrix didn't move to wipe the tears from her face and nor did she move to answer Narcissa.

"Bella… At least let the elf in, father's gunning for her." With one sudden move, Bellatrix pushed herself from her seat and strode across to the door. She wrenched the door open and her elf, the same elf as when she had been discussing the outcome of a fight between a unicorn and a troll hurried in. She hugged Bellatrix's leg and looked fearfully at the door where Narcissa stood.

"Thank you. I know it's been a rough day. I'm sorry." Narcissa said simply. "You're safe for now, though. He's given up and gone home. Mother, I dare say, is on your side. She is trying to convince father that the marriage is all that counts and to leave you alone now. I can't say if he's being persuaded or not."

Bellatrix looked miserable. "Yeah, right." She said.

"I'll see you in the morning." Narcissa said, touching her sister's shoulder.

She closed the door and Sax relaxed. she scurried over to the side of Bellatrix's bed, where a large nest of blankets lay, and buried herself under them as if no one would be able to find her there.

Bellatrix followed suit and used magic to extinguish all her candles at once, falling in to bed.

Hermione found herself abruptly back in the room.

"Those are the things Severus can't show you. For Bella more recently, I'm sure he will be able to assist."

Hermione blinked a few times, trying to dedicate every detail of what she'd been shown to memory.

"Thank you, Narcissa. It helps a lot."

Narcissa smiled. "It is late. I'll have a house elf escort you back to Hogwarts since I can't take you myself. Thank you for today. You've given me hope, not to mention Draco."

Hermione smiled genuinely and at seven o clock sharp, she appeared in Severus' office with a small house elf called Mitt. Mitt bowed and left quickly and Hermione spent the next half an hour explaining all that had happened to Severus.

"I told you she was not so bad." He said, after the Gryffindor finished.

Hermione spoke a little more with him, before returning to her room for the night. Before she dressed for bed, she fished two pieces of parchment from her pile of belongings and wrote two letters, the first to Narcissa, a letter to thank her once more for how understanding she had been, the second to Draco. She asked him is he would like to go to Hogsmede with her whilst she still had the energy, to get out of the house a bit and do some shopping. She felt sorry for him if she was honest. He'd rather gotten the worse end of the deal.

She made it sound as friendly as possible, mentioning her intentions to ask Severus about staying with the Slytherins in an attempt to cheer him up.

When she was done, she sealed them both and called Hessy to take them up to the Owlery.

Maybe this really was the beginning of something, she thought to herself as she fell in to bed, and not, as she had previously suspected, the end.


	7. Chapter 7

Draco, in his eagerness, had replied to Hermione immediately the next morning, and it was agreed that he would apparate at midday with a house elf to Hogwarts, from where they would apparate to Diagon Alley.

Severus had made her promise that the next day would be fully devoted to training with no further interruptions, although secretly he was very pleased that Draco had taken his advice and befriended the Gryffindor. Pleased as he was though, he was also worried about the amount of time they might have left before Hermione couldn't physically face the training, and he wanted to start as soon as possible.

To make up for her absence, Hermione had assured him that whilst she was in Diagon Alley she would pick up anything he might need to make potions and that all he need do was write a list. As it happened, Severus seemed to be intending to make quite the brew of something soon, and Hermione was given a list of seven ingredients, three of which she'd never heard of.

"Blood moss? 600 grams of Strangled Priest? What on earth is that?"

"Blood Moss is a red freshwater seaweed and Strangled Priest is a particularly destructive climbing vine which grows out of rocks, mainly mountainous ones."

Hermione would take his word for it. "Odd name for it."

Severus shrugged and showed his palms. "The superstition is that it used to grow on the walls of a monastery somewhere up in the Tibetan mountains, and that one day the peasants who delivered food to them found all the inhabitants hanged by the vine from the ceiling, as if it had spent years growing around their necks and then suddenly strung them up. Nonsense, of course."

"Cheerful." Hermione said, finding herself oddly amused by the story.

"Quite. Well, off with you. Draco will not want to be left alone for too long in the castle, despite its emptiness. If you think _you_ want to avoid Minerva." He added pointedly.

Hermione understood completely.

"Good point. I'll see you later."

Hermione walked to the main entrance of the castle convinced that Minerva was going to jump out from behind every corner and stone column, peering back over her shoulder at every slight sound.

She found Draco waiting nervously at the main entrance, hunched over and flinching at every bird that flew over head and every muffled sound of magical reconstruction that was being carried out on the parts of the school which had been damaged the worst.

"Hermione." He unintentionally rushed towards the Gryffindor when he saw her, shuffling over to her as quickly as he could. "Thank god, I was sure Professor McGonagall was going to get to me before you."

"I know the feeling." Hermione muttered, looking over her shoulder once more. "Come on, let's go before she really does."

When they arrived at Diagon Alley, Draco kept his head down and his hood up, and Hermione tried to make the two of them look as inconspicuous as possible. A few times people said enthusiastic 'hi's' to her, or cordial 'hello's', but they arrived at The Leaky Cauldron without incident. They found a small table in the corner and Hermione ordered two butterbeers, saving Draco having to face the bar tender.

"So, how's things?" Hermione asked tentatively, sipping at her butterbeer. She couldn't imagine living in a house under constant surveillance. Her sympathy didn't blind her to the fact this was a very strange situation she had found herself in, sitting with a butterbeer chatting to Draco Malfoy.

"Dire." Draco said honestly. "Mother's too depressed to even notice she hasn't left the house in weeks, they could lift the arrest and she still wouldn't move from the library."

Hermione wasn't prepared to feel the wave of emotion that she did upon hearing the youngest Black sister's plight.

"And yourself? We didn't really get a chance to talk about that yesterday, what with my pantomime of a life going on."

Draco smiled and rubbed his eye with the back of his hand. "It's not a pantomime, you're a hero."

Hermione looked up at him, noting the sadness in his voice. "Well for what it's worth, I think you're a hero, too. I mean, regardless of who the pressures were from, we were both under them. It's not really your fault that you were born in a compromising position. You still fought in and survived the war." Hermione's mind flittered back to Severus as she said it, she wondered what Draco would think about her turning back time to change the outcome.

Draco smiled appreciatively. "I don't deserve you being so nice to me. In answer to your question though, I'm… Well, not too different to mother I suppose. No one wants to talk to me for fear of the association getting them shunned. Well, apart from you. Though I don't think you could get shunned if you tried."

Hermione laughed. "Well we're about to put that to the test, aren't we?"

Draco perked up immediately as he remembered Hermione's newest situation. "Oh yes, how is everything going with that?"

Hermione shrugged. "I'm not sure if I've really got my head around it all yet. Severus has made me promise to spend all day training tomorrow to make up for being out today and Minerva is making herself scarce after I tried to kill her but apart from that I don't feel any different. Apart from the constant anxiety and fatigue but those are old friends at this point."

Draco raised an eyebrow and grinned conspiratorially at her. "What did you do to Minerva?"

Hermione grinned back. "I don't know what happened, I woke up a little pissed off for no real reason and so I went onto the grounds to do a little combat training. Next thing I knew, Minerva comes lolloping across the grass at me and I just went mad, I can't even remember what she said that riled me up so much. Then Severus appeared out of nowhere and shouted at her and he dragged me back to his office. It was quite out of character for me but I think it's just the stress."

Draco was looking at her funny, his glass was still halfway to his mouth.

"What?" Hermione looked over her shoulder in case someone unfriendly had spotted them. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Hermione was starting to feel self conscious.

"Nothing, nothing, don't panic, it's just…" Draco shifted his position. "Well, when Aunt Bella stayed at ours for a while, during the war… She used to do the same thing. You know, get up at the crack of dawn and take our her early morning annoyance on the plant pots. Just coincidence I guess but Rudolphus got hexed into the middle of the next week during one such session when he tried to interrupt her. Thought o be fair, he usually got hexed when he approached her."

Hermione made a face of reasoning. "Severus did say I might display… similar characteristics as time went by. Perhaps that's one of them."

Draco suddenly looked mortified. "Does this mean you're going to be my aunt?!"

Hermione gave him a very serious look before they both exploded into giggles. "Please don't ever say that again." She said, still smiling.

"Honestly though, you and Bella. That's an odd picture."

Hermione couldn't disagree. "Yeah, I'm still getting used to the concept, bringing her back and then the aftermath. Doesn't help that I feel like I know so little of her."

"I didn't know her for most of my life." Draco said, finishing his butterbeer. "She taught me legilimency and occlumency, and she lived with us for about two years. She was… actually quite a laugh sometimes. She made mother very happy by being there, but she was a soldier, just like everyone else. She did what she did I guess."

Hermione chewed her lip absentmindedly. "I don't know," she said in the end, "It's all making me very tired."

"I'm not surprised."

A few minutes of reflective quiet passed before Hermione suggested they got some shopping done whilst they still could. Draco needed new robes, and his mother had given him the money for a new wand since he was still using hers.

Hermione showed him the list of ingredients that Severus had given her, and not wanting to be separated, they left The Leaky Cauldron to shop together.

They first stopped at Ollivander's newly restored shop in the hopes of finding Draco a wand. He was beyond desperate to get a wand that reacted properly to his magic because it wanted to and not just because it recognised him as blood of its real owner. Draco was tentative as he stepped through the door, flinching as the bell rand to announce the duo. There were no longer towering stacks of wands as there had once been, instead the shop felt hollow without them. Ollivander had been working hard to replenish his stock over the last week, knowing that life had to go on, but the shop had only re-opened two days ago and the contrast was saddening.

The old man gave them the strangest of looks as he shuffled out to meet them.

"Well now, this is a sight I would not have foreseen." He said, rather amicably, surveying the two of them.

Draco kept his head down. The last time he had seen the man was when he was being help prisoner in Malfoy Manor.

"No need to look so sullen, my boy. What's done is done, and not by your hand." He said, patting Draco on the shoulder. He was leaning on a crutch. "Now, something tells me you're in want of a nice new wand, hm? One without any memories what so ever? A clean start."

Draco smiled and nodded slightly. "That's right." He said, relieved the old man hadn't refused to serve him.

"Well," Ollivander said, crutching his way to the back of the store where some boxes lay on the floor. "I haven't had the time to make very many since I've been back, but in all truthfulness, I did think that I might be seeing you in the next few weeks." He scooped one of the boxes from the pile and began back towards Draco and Hermione where they stood at his new counter. "And so I prepared this for you." He put the box on the counter and gestured for Draco to open it. The boy did as he was bid and Hermione had to admit she never seen such a beautiful wand before. It was long and elegant, and almost as white as the boy's hair, with a pale green tinge to its handle.

"White beech wood, unicorn hair core, 10 and 3/4 inches. Quick, very fiery. It's made from the same Unicorn as your previous wand was; sorry for the association, but not being able to predict whether a wand would choose you or not, I thought it would have a better chance of being compatible if it was more similar to your last wand. Please, feel free to find out."

Draco carefully picked up the wand from where it lay on its satin bed the tip glowed a friendly white before he even had a proper grip on it. It gave off a huff of magic enough to stir his hair and then settled down.

"Wonderful!" Ollivander exclaimed. "Why don't you try a small spell, just to make sure?"

"Lumos." The wand shone brightly with no hesitation and Draco couldn't help but smile; it had been so long since he'd been able to cast anything with a truly responsive wand.

"Knox." The wand extinguished itself almost before he said it.

"Always a delight to see." Ollivander clapped his hands together.

"Thank you for the thought, Mr Ollivander. Few others would have been so kind. It's a beautiful wand."

Hermione smiled broadly to show she agreed.

"And what of you, Miss Granger? I suppose your wand is still…" He trailed off, not wanting to mention Bellatrix to her. She supposed he still thought she considered Bellatrix her worst enemy.

Hermione sighed. She was of two minds about Bellatrix's old wand. On one hand, it was Bellatrix's, and she found herself becoming more inclined to keep it by the day, as a source of some small comfort if nothing else, but on the other hand she knew the things it had done, the people it had killed, whatever the motives. She also knew the longer she kept it, the more chance there was of someone noticing and finding it a little odd that she wouldn't have done away with it. The last thing she wanted was awkward questions.

"Yes," She answered truthfully, pulling it from her sleeve and looking at it like a child that caused her a lot of stress. "But I'm afraid I've not the gold with me to replace it."

He looked at her as if she was to be scolded. "Now now, silly talk." He said. "I'd not charge the young woman who just helped save both myself and the rest of the wizarding world from its doom to get wand that didn't belong to one of the worst people she saved it from." Hermione remembered her little vision of post nuclear Hogsmede and wasn't sure of how true that statement was. Draco gave her a small sideways glance at the half insult to Bellatrix.

Hermione just smiled it off, despite the the urge to argue Bellatrix's case.

"Here," He said, after finding another box. "Try this one. Though I did think ahead to make you a wand as I did your friend, I'm afraid I have not yet started the task. I finished Mr Malfoy's only this morning. Never say never, though, this wand here is made from the same heartstring as your first wand- same as Miss Black's, also, but that cannot be helped I'm afraid. How does this look to you?" He revealed a wand that was so dark it was very nearly completely black, save for a few small green gems on the handle.

"13 inches, Blackthorn, Dragon Heartstring, powerful. Very loyal; the dragon's always are."

Hermione had to admit it was as was Draco's, a very beautiful wand.

"It's beautiful." She said truthfully.

"And no less do you deserve." Ollivander smiled. "Here," He passed the wand to her and tentatively, she took it from him. For a moment, nothing happened, and then just as Hermione was beginning to think it was ignoring her entirely, the tip of it exploded into colour, fizzing and hissing as magic crackled down its length to explode from the end in an impressive light display so large Draco had jumped back from it.

"My, my…" Ollivander leaned closer to her, watching the wand as it started to settle, still glowing. "I haven't seen a reaction like that in a very long time. That was quite the affirmative."

Hermione had to agree, and couldn't help but wonder if it had anything to do with it's core reacting with the one in her pocket. Could wands be soulmates too?

"It… Certainly seems excited." Draco said, closing the space he had created when he jumped away.

Ollivander bowed slightly. "Consider them gifts."

Draco looked up in surprise. "Mr Ollivander, I'm afraid I'm no hero."

"My boy!" He chuckled. "Don't think I have forgotten what you did for me." He said cryptically. Draco's eyes widened, and then he nodded.

Hermione noted the comment down to ask Draco about later.

"Well, we should be going." Hermione said, trying to help the conversation along. "Thank you very much Mr Ollivander; please take care of yourself."

They said their good byes and Draco followed Hermione out of the shop.

"Robes next?" Hermione asked, still marvelling at her new wand.

Draco nodded, stowing his own new wand up his sleeve, walking beside Hermione with his hood back up. A few times he got odd stares and harsh looks from other students who had come to shop in preparation for their next term at Hogwarts, but whether they couldn't handle any more fighting or checked themselves after seeing Hermione, nothing more came of it.

"I can't believe Mr Ollivander didn't ask a single galleon for such nice wands." The blonde said as they waited for the shop assistant to bring out his robes.

"What did he mean?" Hermione asked, pushing herself up to sit on a high stool.

"What did who mean?"

"Mr Ollivander. What did he mean? What hadn't he forgotten?"

Draco raised his eyebrows. "Oh. Back when he was, uh… staying with us, I had some of the house elves deliver him extra food and a few potions for his back ache. Nothing much, really. He was never mistreated when he was there, but still, he couldn't leave. One day one of the rookie death eaters went up to collect a new wand from him and lost his temper when the wand rejected him. Said Mr Ollivander had done it to spite him."

Hermione smiled with Draco as a small woman handed him neatly folded robes in a nice bag. Hey paid her and Hermione hopped off the stool.

"What happened then?" She pressed, as the bell over the shop door chimed.

"Well, by coincidence, I was on my way up to my bedroom after a lesson with Bellatrix and heard the commotion. A simple stunner to the back of the head, that's all. Levitated him down to the grounds and left him there. Not sure what became of the rookie but Mr Ollivander was very grateful for the assistance."

Hermione nudged him playfully. "See, hero material." She laughed.

Draco shoved her back smiling. "Yeah, shut up. So- what are these potion ingredients, then?"

Hermione recited the list to him and Draco pulled a face. "They all sound delightful. Shall we?"

The Apothecary was as dingy and poorly ventilated as usual. After finding Blood Moss, Strangled Priest and Moth Wings in the amounts demanded, Hermione and Draco waited patiently whilst the more advanced and rarer ingredients were found from the stores at the back. Draco found a sheep's eye at the bottom of an otherwise empty container and Hermione laughed herself half sick and batted him away as he waved it at her, mimicking Professor McGonagall's high Scottish tones telling her she was 'no longer welcome in club sunshine and rainbows'.

"Hermione?"

Hermione turned towards the door and her mind drew a blank as she registered Ron's pale face.

"Hermione!" He cried happily. He all but pushed another customer face first into a barrel of frogspawn as he ran to grab her in a crushing bear hug.

"Ron-" Hermione hadn't seen him or Harry since she'd collapsed after the final battle.

"We were so worried! What are you doing out? You should be resting, in bed." He finally pulled away from her and she felt like she could breathe.

"What?"

Ron frowned. "McGonagall told us everything." He said gravely. "Me and Harry… We, well, we don't know what to say, 'mione. Harry's doing everything he can to get some special healers over from Romania."

Hermione had gone notably pale. "Minerva told you everything?" She asked, swallowing hard.

"Well, yeah, 'corse. Why do you think we haven't been to visit? It's been mental at home, mum's never been so worried, none of us have. Reckon Harry misses the peace and quiet of Privet Drive by now."

Hermione couldn't understand what she was hearing. "What do you mean? I thought you were both at the ministry?"

They both stared at each other in mutual confusion. "Why did you think that?" Ron said eventually.

"Minerva, she told me that you'd taken up your positions as aurors. She said you were training and couldn't come to see me."

Ron looked outraged. "What? We're not Aurors! We've been at home, same as the rest of the students."

Hermione felt the same anger stirring that had fuelled her last attempt on the professors nose.

"What did she tell you about me, exactly?" Something told Hermione that Ron would have brought up the very female-shaped elephant in the room by now if Minerva really had told him _everything_.

"She just said that you were very ill with a life-threatening virus. We both saw you collapse after the battle, visited you in the hospital wing, but then they took you away and McGonagall said you were too ill to have any visitors and she'd let us know when that changed. She said you… She said you might not make it. We haven't heard anything since."

Hermione's mouth was hanging open. "Ron I'm not ill. I'm not exactly well, but I'm not dying." She said it with more conviction than she'd felt so far. She suddenly felt that her survival was a personal point to score.

They stared at each other again. "You mean… That doesn't make sense, what's the old bat playing at?" His famous temper flared.

For once, Hermione's temper followed suit. "I don't know, but I swear to god, I'm going to kill her in her slee-"

Draco grabbed her arm before she could leave the shop and do Bellatrix proud. "Hermione, don't, because you _will_ , and then this whole thing will go to shit."

Ron hadn't registered Draco before that moment, and he fixed him with a scrutinising look before turning to Hermione for answers as to what he was doing there.

Hermione sighed through grit teeth. "Ron, there's a lot going on right now that I can't tell you about, but without the long and the short of it is Draco is my friend now. I would be very grateful if you could show him at least neutrality, if not friendship. Please? For me?"

The red head didn't look thrilled about the idea but he was so relieved to see Hermione alive he found it difficult to be petty about her choice of friends.

"If you say so." He said, unusually maturely. After a second or two Ron held his hand out and Hermione was genuinely surprised by the gesture. Draco shook his hand and smiled meekly, equally caught off guard.

"Yeah, well." Ron said gruffly, shaking himself a little. "It's all over now, I suppose. No point wasting energy on the silly stuff. I'm more interested in how McGonagall's going to explain herself."

"No, Ron- don't say anything. I'm handling her, don't worry about it."

Before he could argue, the assistant came back with four coloured bags of weighed ingredients. "Here you go, my lovely." She said. "Everything alright?" She added, sensing the tension.

"Yes, thank you." Hermione answered quickly. She followed the woman to the counter to pay, leaving Draco and Ron at the back of the shop together.

With the ingredients safely in her beaded bag, she returned to where she'd left her friends and was surprised to see them talking. The three of them left the shop and Hermione said goodbye to Ron.

"Promise me you'll tell Harry everything. I'll write to you later on with more details. Oh, and don't tell your mother about Minerva, just tell her I'm much better, okay?" Ron nodded along with her.

"Okay, okay, I wont."

"Tell Ginny I said hi, and that I'm thinking about you all." Hermione hadn't had much time to think about her friends since the end of the war, and it was catching up to her.

"Alright, I will. They'll be thrilled to know you're okay."

"Okay." Hermione smiled as the house elf that had apparated them there showed up behind them.

"Well, see you soon?" Ron said hopefully.

"Yeah." Hermione agreed. "Oh, and Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"If you write, address it to Severus and put a small cross on it somewhere so I know it's for me. I fear Minerva will take any mail intended for me if she finds out."

"Sure- why Snape, though?"

"Another friend." Hermione said sheepishly. She wished she could tell them what was really happening.

"Blimey. I expect a thrilling letter to arrive tonight, with all the detail on how _that_ came about. First name basis, too, sure I want to know?"

Hermione hit him and smiled. "Shut up. Well, we should go." She reached out for the elf and took Draco's arm.

She waved a little and Draco nodded his head and the next thing she saw was the grandfather clock of Malfoy Manor.

"Oh, I thought we'd go to Hogwarts first. No matter." Draco said kindly, when he saw the elf's ears fall.

"Draco? Is that you? Oh, Hermione!"

Narcissa Malfoy looked just as tired as she had yesterday.

"Narcissa." Hermione said politely.

"Did you find a new wand?" She asked Draco.

Draco produced the wand and his mother took it, looking at it in surprise. "Oh, it's lovely." She said warmly.

"He gave Hermione one, too. He didn't ask us to pay, in fact he insisted we didn't."

"Oh?" Hermione produced her wand similarly and Narcissa passed Draco his wand back to examine Hermione's.

"I thought you still had my sister's wand." She asked.

"I do, but… People are beginning to notice that I'm still using it. I'll keep it somewhere safe."

Narcissa sympathised. "Ah, of course." She passed the wand back smiling.

Draco then said goodbye to Hermione and then took the stairs two at a time to go and practice spells in his room, still overjoyed with his gift.

Hermione turned to Narcissa as they watched him go. "Draco said this place was… taking its toll." Hermione said quietly. She hadn't forgotten how he had described her mental state in the Leaky Cauldron.

Narcissa sighed. "Well. I'm alive." She said, as if it were the best she could hope for.

Hermione touched her arm gently. "I'll bring her back soon." She promised.

The youngest Black had tears in her eyes as she smiled. "Thank you Hermione. Remember what I said- anything you need."

Hermione nodded.

"It was lovely seeing you dear." Narcissa said, hugging her briefly.

"You too."

The elf apparated her back to Hogwarts upon Narcissa's farewell and Hermione was sad she couldn't stay longer.

Once she was back at the castle, Hermione went straight to Severus with his ingredients. She hadn't forgotten her anger at Minerva for lying to her friends.

"You're back earlier than I thought." Snape didn't look up from his desk.

"Well, we finished up with what we needed. I even got a new wand."

The potions master looked up expectantly. "Oh?"

Hermione gave him the wand to look at and whilst his hands were busy she downed the remnants of the whiskey from the glass by his work.

"You really ought to stop doing that." He said, handing the wand back with an approving look. "That stuff can be terribly addictive."

"Says the man with a bottle hidden in every cupboard, draw and umbrella stand."

Snape shrugged. "I'm not known for leading by example. Anything else you wish to discuss?"

Hermione threw herself into the arm chair in the corner and recounted her trip with Draco, with everything Ron had said to her.

Severus sighed. "I thought she might have. You haven't acted rashly, I hope?"

Hermione just shook her head, staring into the fire.

By god, Snape thought, she didn't and a half resemble Bella.

"Well, I'd leave it for now. Write your letters. Get some sleep. You've a long day ahead of you tomorrow."

Hermione pulled a face full of short-lived fake enthusiasm before bidding her mentor goodnight and retiring to the Slytherin dormitory, safe from gold and red and the Scottish.

She picked a random book up and browsed through it for half an hour, before a short cough pulled her attention the the door.

"Severus?" Hermione was slotting the book back on to the shelf and about to pick another.

"Good evening. You may wish to sit down." Severus said, motioning to one of the black sofas in front of which he placed a piece of parchment on the table by a black feather quill. He took the seat opposite. "Upon further thought, I think it's about time I went through this with you."

Hermione shrugged, sitting down slowly. "Alright. What is it?"

"Time." Snape said simply.

"Now listen carefully, I've not the stamina to do this twice. This is what your time line will look like after you return from saving Bellatrix." Snape drew a circle with a line sticking out to the left and two parallel lines sticking out to the right. "Here," he said, pointing to where the left line met the circle, "is where you collapsed when speaking to Hagrid after the battle. Up until then your timeline was normal. Then," he moved to point over the circle, "we get to this month. You will have, from this point, lived to go back to save Bella, in order to live, to go back to save Bella, in order to live etc. This is called a bootstrap paradox. Then, you will come out this side." Severus continued, pointing at the lower line to the right. "Whilst in this month, anyone who becomes aware of your plan to save Bella, and so effectively the paradox, will come out of the other side on this time line. By time line of course, I only mean the version of events they will remember- obviously we wont actually be splitting time in two. Now, in this time line, will be all the people who will remember both versions of events. That means you, myself, Narcissa, Draco and unfortunately, Minerva. Each of us will remember this version more clearly that the created one- it is likely we will only have very hazy images of what happened within the time line wherein Bellatrix survived. In this time line," he pointed to the one above. "Will be everyone else, who will only remember the version of events which we created, no one will be aware Bellatrix was ever gone. I do not need to impress upon you the importance of great forethought, now, of who you choose to pull from this line, down to our line. What we are doing here is illegal after all."

"It is?"

"Well of course it is, you cant just change time whenever you feel like it. The only reason I'm even attempting it with you is because firstly you're the wizarding worlds golden girl and secondly, you're doing it to retrieve your soulmate. The law, as you know, is almost always in your favour on the subject, it is also highly illegal for any force, ministerial or otherwise, to forcibly separate two soul mates. Im not sure they quite counted on having this situation when they set that in stone, but I'm positive that law would override the laws on short time travel in court."

Hermione's head hurt. "If this whole month is a paradox, how will we ever get out of it?"

"Well it _would_ be. But you have your time turner to take you to this point," Severus pointed to just after the lower line left the circle, "rather than this point," his wand tip moved to the edge of the circle. "Its only a matter of hours but it makes the difference. If you were to live through the time again, rather than use the time turner then god knows what would happen, perhaps we'd all lose our memories, you would never have become ill, and so never would have saved Bella, and, well, you can see why terrible things happen to wizards who mess with time. This paradox will keep the whole thing steady. For as long as its going, you will always have gotten ill, and so always have gone back for Bella, supporting this future to happen. Please don't ask me how time takes care of that when we've moved past it, I've not got alcohol strong enough to even want to begin to explain.

Now, what else. Ah, yes,"

Severus leaned back in his seat. "When you arrive back here, you will, as I have already mentioned, have two versions of events in your head. This is a very rare occurrence. When two time streams come in to close contact with one another as yours have, it creates an energy, no ones quite sure what sort of magic it is. It wont affect you, but anyone who attempts legilimency on you will be... Well, it would be like exposing yourself to the sun, don't look directly at it. It will cause them a great amount of short lived pain and you can probably safely say swift ejection."

Hermione frowned. "Why?"

"Because magic is a powerful thing, it understands that it needs to protect itself so as not to die out. What it doesn't have any grasp of however, is how many people there are in the world. As far as it's concerned, the whole world is made up of you, the few in your time stream, and one other outsider. As soon as that outsider sees into your head, they will become aware of the paradox which occurred and, even then, will become part of it, therefore meaning there is no longer a second time stream. If there was no other time stream, and we were the only people alive, then that magic would cease to exist as it can only occur with the friction of two time lines near one another. This would mean the magic died out. Understand?"

Hermione was fairly sure she did, but it didn't lessen her need to hit her head off of something.

"The same thing will happen if an outsider attempts to read the minds of anyone within our little bubble, but on a much smaller scale. They would experience mild discomfort, I should think. You however, were the epicentre, and so will have a much greater power."

"What if Bellatrix tries to read my mind?"

"You and Bellatrix will naturally be able to drift in and out of one another's thoughts and emotions quite effortlessly and through much higher means than legilimency. Don't look so alarmed you'll be glad of it at the time, and besides you don't _have_ to be in one another's thoughts, you can keep her out if you wanted to."

Hermione still looked alarmed, the thought of her privacy being reduced to nothing was more than a little daunting. The additional information that she might have some control over it was comforting though.

"Thank you." Hermione said, eventually. "For explaining."

"No problem. Just something to think about when you write to Mr Potter and Mr Weasley. If you choose to tell them, They'll be aware of what happened on the other side of all this."

Hermione sighed. "I know. I won't tell them." She wasn't sure when she had decided that.

Snape stood and bowed slightly. "Tomorrow morning. Nine o clock."

He left, and Hermione set to writing to her friends, wondering what they would think if she wrote to them with everything that had really transpired. Instead she wrote of her books, and how the castle restoration was going, and how she was fine, much better now, nothing to worry about, and hoped they didn't blame her when they found out how much she'd lied.


	8. Chapter 8

Minerva, of course, had to make her appearance at the most inopportune moment possible.

In what Hermione suspected was meant as a warm up session of sorts, Severus had decided to test her duelling capabilities. She had told him, as she was sure he knew already, that her duelling was nothing to marvel at, and that she couldn't imagine how it could have gotten any better during a time where she had done no real practicing whatsoever. He didn't seem to take this into account, and instead insisted that she duelled him anyway, with 'no limits' on tactics. She assumed that mean she was free to use as many underhanded techniques as she liked, which would have made for a nice head start if she had known any to utilise.

She had bowed, and he had started his assault, trying to pin her on the defensive, and right as she had been about to counter a stunner, the shrill, Scottish tones of the hat-wearing hurricane had caught her off guard. She had turned her head, and then flown a few feet in the direction she was looking as the stunner got her right between the shoulder blades.

"And just what do you think the two of you are doing out here?" She cried, stalking towards them in her usual manner.

"Poetry Class." Hermione said sarcastically before she could check herself, dusting herself off as she stood.

Severus hid a smile as the headmistress tried to think of a suitable answer for that.

"Miss Granger and I were merely warming up before commencing our training." Severus said, willing the woman to leave before Hermione remembered the situation with her friends and tried to break her jaw.

"You encourage this fighting? Do you know how many school rules-"

"Professor McGonagall," Hermione said kindly, smiling. "I'm sorry to say it, but you really are a very trivial woman. Revenge!"

She spun on her heel, shooting another stunner at her potions master, grinning widely. He dodged it just in time, and Hermione was too busy laughing and parrying to notice McGonagall's shocked face, or the angry way she walked back to the school building.

After another thirty minutes, the sun was more established in the sky, and the morning chill had ebbed away into a comfortable coolness. Hermione was panting, but still smiling, and couldn't actually believe it as Severus' wand finally flew from his grip and landed in a patch of grass a few meters away. She had won. She couldn't remember the last time she had won a duel.

"Congratulations." Snape bowed again.

Hermione collapsed onto the grass, still grinning as Severus scooped up his wand and came to sit next to her.

"A break, and then we will start the real training." Severus said.

Hermione nodded, staring up at the sky. "So what was the real point of that?" She asked, knowing there must have been one. Snape wasn't one for frivolity.

"I asked you to duel because frankly, you can't." Severus said bluntly.

"I still beat _you_." Hermione said indignantly, poking him in the shoulder.

Snape nodded once. "Exactly. You beat me. You beat me at my best. Strange for a girl who's typically shocking at the activity."

"Alright, what are you driving at?" Hermione asked, feeling like there must be a point to this.

"Hermione can't duel." He said obviously.

The young witch gave him an odd look. "Why are you saying it like that?"

" _Because_. _Hermione_ can't duel."

"Are you accusing me of polyjuice potion?"

Snape frowned and looked up momentarily. "No. Think about it. Who do we know who _can_ duel?"

Hermione stared back at the clouds for a moment, before it suddenly hit her. "Bella?" She said, finally understanding.

Severus nodded again. "Bellatrix."

"So you think I'm developing her duelling skills?"

"Well, no, not necessarily. I think Bella's proficiency for duelling comes from many aspects of her personality coming together. I think it's those that you are developing, and subsequently, your duelling is improving vastly. The only way to check was to put it into action."

Hermione sat up, using her new wand to straighten out her hair. She had wanted to use Bellatrix's for their session, but Severus had insisted she must get the measure of her new wand first. It hadn't let her down, and was notably more powerful and more receptive to her emotions that any other wand she had ever used.

"Which personality traits exactly?"

Snape laughed, still sounding a little wheezy but definitely a hundred times better than when she had first seen him. "The blatant disregard for authority, the sarcasm, the drinking. I could go on."

Hermione suddenly laughed. "Draco will rupture something laughing when I tell him about what just happened with the professor."

Snape grinned, and Hermione had never seen him smile so much as she had seen him do over the last week.

"I'm sure he will."

Over the next four hours, Hermione tried with all her might to follow her instructions to the letter and successfully become her animagus. By half past two, both mentor and student were starving, and Hermione was completely exhausted. Not that either of them had expected her to, she hadn't managed to turn, but was slowly becoming more familiar with the technique. She was a quick study. Severus had called an end to their session, and rather than his office, he had taken his cauldron to the Slytherin common room to prepare the potion she had gathered the ingredients for in Diagon Alley the day before.

Hessy brought them late lunch without even being asked, and the two had spoken of the coming weeks, and schedules, and made targets for each week as far as her training was concerned.

By quarter to four, Hermione's head had started to throb again, and knowing what was coming, she excused herself to go to her room to lay down. Severus had momentarily left his apparatus to escort her before leaving her in Hessy's capable hands.

"How is Mistress Granger feeling?" The elf asked, with all the concern of a mother.

Hermione smiled, her joints aching dully. "I'm fine Hessy, just tired. Thank you for lunch earlier."

The elf beamed. "It was Hessy's pleasure. Hessy will leave Mistress Granger to sleep now, Hessy will be near by if Hessy should be needed."

Hermione smiled and thanked her once more, before changing out of her robes and collapsing into bed. Hermione picked the small picture up from the side of her bed and watched it as she did every evening before she went to sleep. Bellatrix looked just as bored as she had before, still rolling her eyes and making rude hand gestures. After a few minutes quietly contemplating her soul mate, she propped the small photograph up to face her against the spine of her book on her bedside table and watched it until she fell asleep.

"Three days?" Hermione was mortified. She had woken up with a blinding headache and had had to go to see Severus, for a potion if nothing else.

"Three days." Severus repeated, handing her a small glass bottle.

"But it can't have been, it only feels like three hours. I've even got the same headache."

Severus took the glass bottle back after Hermione downed its contents.

"Alas, three days it had been. I'll get us something to eat and then I'm afraid it's straight outside to train. If this is going to be taking you out for half a week at a time, we don't have a shred of time to waste."

Hermione groaned and clutched her head as she curled up in what she had all but claimed now as her arm chair. Severus called Hessy, and the elf popped away to get the something to eat.

Hermione had slept continually, swimming through odd dreams about Bellatrix's hair, and spinning in the sun, and being terribly, terribly ill. She wouldn't say they were nightmares exactly, more oddities. But she still couldn't believe it had been so long.

"I came in to check on you twice a day. No change, same low vitals, same lack of responsiveness to light, sound."

Hermione sighed. The potion was kicking in and the ringing in her ears was slowly receding.

"Fabulous." She mumbled.

"We have a lot to discuss this evening, too. I'm sure you'll find it all very interesting."

Hermione took his word for it and Hessy soon brought the two lunch. Severus gave Hermione an impressive amount of letters- by her standards, anyhow- that had stacked up over the last three days. There was one from Molly and Arthur, two from Ginny, one each from Ron and Harry, and one from Hagrid, the only one which was actually addressed to her. All the others were, as demanded, addressed to Snape, with a small cross somewhere on the envelope.

"Good forethought marking the letters. I was wondering if Minerva would try to intervene further with your friends."

Hermione looked mutinously over the top of the crumpled letter from Hagrid. "And has she?"

"Well. She _tried_." Severus shrugged.

Hermione let the paper in her hands fold over backwards and fixed her tutor with a stern look. "What exactly did she try?"

"Nothing spectacularly intelligent." Severus ensured. "I found her in the owlery when I went to send a letter. She was rooting about, I assume for those." He motioned towards Hermione's opened mail. "When I asked her what she was doing she said it was none of my business."

"Like it was hers." Hermione snorted. She couldn't believe how quickly she'd come to hold the woman in such contempt, but at the same time she couldn't explain why it felt like a new occurrence.

"Well stuff her." Hermione declared, unwilling to worsen her mood by thinking about her. "I've chosen not to tell Harry and Ron about what we're doing. In fact, at the moment I haven't told them about Bella at all. I don't know how to approach the subject and I don't think I can deal with their reactions to it all right now anyway."

Hessy re-appeared with some fruit and bread, having cottoned on a while ago that it was what Hermione preferred to eat.

"Thank you Hessy." Severus said.

"Severus?" Hermione asked slowly, not taking her eyes off the slice of apple she was skinning.

"Mm?"

"When you said about changing the war, the outcome… What will that mean for Harry?"

Severus shifted slightly. "In what way?"

"You know what way." Hermione looked up at him.

Severus regarded her for a moment. "He won't need to die, if that's what you mean."

"But Harry and Voldemort can't both live. We just had quite a big war about that, if you remember. It was in the paper."

Severus sniggered childishly. "Alright, _Bella_. I get the point." He ate a segment of orange. "Who said anything about Voldemort, anyway?" He said, sounding slightly muffled.

"You did? When you asked me to consider bringing him back to life?"

Snape rolled his eyes. "Hermione your life would begin to get extremely repetitive if he got brought back _again_ and went to war _again_ which you fought in _again_. I never said I wanted Voldemort brought back at all. I said I wanted the his side to win the war."

"How are they going to do that without a leader, exactly?"

Severus looked at her and then back to his fruit with a strange expression on his face, his eyebrows raised a little and his lips pushed halfway into a 'o'.

Hermione hadn't moved an inch. "Severus? Oh jesus christ Severus, what are you getting me into?"

"Bella would be there to help you." The potions master said slowly.

"No. Oh, no. Severus I am not fronting a war."

"You wouldn't be fronting a war."

Hermione groaned. "Okay, just get it over with. Tell me the plan."

"As you wish. We don't need Voldemort to pull this off." He said after a pause. "We just need to re-take the ministry. Once we have that, crisis averted. However to do that, we're going to need people we can trust; there are death eaters in hiding who we can call upon but they will be wary of you. However, if Bella was to order them to storm hell, they'd be the ones to kick the gates in. Once Bella is back, we can begin to recover and re-group individual death eaters until we have enough to take the ministry. This will probably not go down so well with the community. So I propose that we set rules, like as little killing as possible. Once we have the ministry we will do a few good things for publicity- paying for the restoration of places damaged in the war, introduce a few laws for equality between all the different blood status'. Things like that. Garner some trust and popularity. After that, business as normal."

"What of the minister?"

"Well I'd like you to handle that. After we take the ministry I think you should talk to him, explain ourselves. Offer peace. Between you and Bella I'm sure you could pull it off. Give him a nice big house somewhere and money enough to live comfortably for the rest of his life."

"Would that I could, but I don't have a nice big house to give him." Hermione said simply.

"As a matter of fact, you do."

Hermione frowned expectantly.

"I wasn't idle whilst you slept. The first day you were asleep I visited Narcissa and got this." Severus reached across to his table where a large leather bound book, which had already caught Hermione's attention a few times since she had been in the room, lay heavily.

"I wasn't going to tell you this until this evening for the fear you might refuse to train and instead read all day. However I suppose since it has come up in conversation now there's no point putting it off."

"What is it?"

"Your heritage. I found myself wondering were exactly your magic had come from, and so I asked for the book Narcissa keeps with all of the magical families listed. Congratulations, you're a Gaunt."

"A Gaunt? I thought they were extinct? Weren't they the ones that lost everything they had and got randomly violent because they kept marrying their cousins?"

Snape shook his head. "The Gaunt's were _offensively_ wealthy. Yes, they had a few nut jobs in the time of Tom Riddle's parents, and long story short, the elders of the family hid most of their wealth when they thought it was in danger of being spent by the less stable heirs. They thought it would be better to leave it all for the future of the house and have themselves nothing, than to have it all and no future. It's widely regarded now that they got neither in the end, it's a very well kept secret that their fortune is actually in the lowest vaults at Gringotts. Their line supposedly died out when Voldemort died, however your mother's father was the one that got away so to speak."

Hermione was fascinated, she had always wanted to know the source of her powers.

"I never met my Grandfather. My mother always said she knew only that he was a bit… odd; had an awful temper. She never actually met him. He died long before I was born."

Severus nodded. "See here." He opened the book and pointed to just above where the Riddle and Gaunt family trees merged. "Marvolo Gaunt. He had two children, Morfin and Merope- Merope Gaunt being Tom Riddle's mother. Morfin was out of his mind- spoke mostly in parseltogue. It is well known amongst those who were close to the family at the time, however, that Morfin had a child with a young witch, shortly before he was sent to Azkaban where he later died. The child never lived within the magical world as the Gaunt's disapproved- the witch's parents were both magical, but not of a purity that was up to the Gaunt standards. The child was your mother. She then grew up as a muggle and married your father to have you."

Hermione gawped. "But why isn't my mother magical?"

Severus shrugged. "A squib. It's likely that the magic was quashed from her altogether because of Morfin's rather small gene pool- it was widened enough by your grandmother's new blood to avoid your mother ending up like her father, but she paid the price in her abilities.

Whatever the case, magic flourished once more in your blood. The lineage explains the mark too- it is more common in pure blood families because say what you want about them, their blood _is_ more concentrated, as is their magic. A muggle born's magical blood would be diluted- no less powerful- just a thinner strain. This bond needs a lot to be able to carry it without blowing a fuse, so to speak, and so it crops up in people with high concentrations of magic in their blood. Looking at the pictures of the females in the Gaunt line, you do bear a resemblance."

Hermione had to agree, looking at the ancient sketches besides the names.

"If my grandmother was a witch, why did my mother never get a Hogwarts letter? They wouldn't have known she was a squib, would they?"

"Perhaps she did. It's possible the decision not to attend was made for her by her mother. She likely never knew about it- Harry's owl debacle was _not_ the standard procedure, Dumbledore merely thought it would be 'a giggle'. In any other case, if a child does not turn up then it is assumed they chose to stay as a muggle."

Hermione felt a great deal of resentment towards her grandmother for potentially stealing such a future form her mother. "My mother always said my grandmother was a bit of an acquired taste if I'm honest. Always angry about something. She said that people even used to decline invitations to weddings if she was going because she would always stir up old arguments. She died the year before I went to Hogwarts. I never really had much of a relationship with her, my mother wouldn't let her near me and she wasn't allowed to come into the house unless dad was there, which his working hours rarely allowed for."

Severus finished the orange he had taken so long to eat. "Certainly sounds like the sort Morfin might go for, in her youth."

Hermione leaned back in her chair. "So you think my grandmother was a witch who had a squib daughter with a mental case who then had me? Why was my grandmother living as a muggle?"

"Maybe she wanted to get away from the Gaunts. Back then there was probably galleons on her head for daring to dilute the family line, however badly it needed it. It's probably why she was a bitter old woman. Forced into hiding, into giving up magic."

Hermione looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "There's nothing to really back all this up though, is there?"

"There is if you take Draco at his word."

"Draco?"

"I wrote to Narcissa with my suspicions the evening I received the book and she had him travel to Borgin and Burkes yesterday- they have the tapestry of the Gaunt family there as a curio- like the one in Grimmauld Place- and once he managed to actually find it, and get through the dust to look properly, it had your name on it."

Hermione was stunned. "And no one thought to tell me that I was the Dark Lord's once removed bloody cousin?" She said, feeling like Ron.

"Well no one knew, that tapestry has been in the shop near since the day it opened. Hidden away so no one would ever know if the line continued. I only know of it because I have a habit of eavesdropping. Your birth certificate will have been altered, too- we need to get hold of it, have it magically examined and restored, and you will, as the sole heir, be and remain a very wealthy woman for the rest of your life."

"Fuck."

Snape laughed; Bella was going to love her immensely.

"Something like that, yes. Now- we've been here much longer than I intended. Come along, Miss Gaunt, time for practice. We can go over all this after a few hours of exercise."

Snape and Hermione, as they had the previous session, practiced until Hermione called time out. Her arms were aching for some reason and she was distracted by the new news of her bloodline. Just the idea that she was a half-blood was enough to make her inner low-self-esteem 12-year-old self giddy.

She had developed an excellent grip on the magic they were dealing with and Severus thought she might manage to pull the transformation off in their next session, or perhaps the one after that. Whenever it would happen, the day she would finally find Bellatrix was getting nearer.

 **A/N: The next chapter will be the last one before Bellatrix makes her appearance! Sorry it took a while to update, Christmas is the _worst_ time for productivity. Unless it's eating. I'm productive at that during the holidays.**


	9. Chapter 9

It had been ten days since the conversation about Hermione's heritage, six of which she'd spent asleep. Severus had agreed that morning that she could take a short break from training, which was becoming increasingly strenuous, to visit Narcissa and catch up with her and Draco on the latest news on her progress and bloodline. In the mean time, the potions master was going to see about getting her magical birth certificate examined and possibly restored. Hermione had pointed out to him, after further thought, that surely her birth certificate would stay the same, since she would have her father's name not her grandfather's.

Snape had reminded her that her mother's maiden name was Gaunt- whether she knew it or not- and that at the time of Hermione's birth her mother was not actually married to her father, meaning there was a good chance that in the magical world she had been automatically named Gaunt prior to someone later altering her to Granger before she started Hogwarts. Hermione had been ready to call the theory unlikely, before she remembered who exactly had come to her house when she was eleven years old.

It was midday as Hessy fussed over her appearance. Over the last 72 hours, Hermione's hands had begun to shake slightly and she was developing a sensitivity to light which had forced their practice sessions to be moved from outdoors to the Room of Requirement. Severus had assured her it was only to be expected but Hermione could see the worry evident in his face and she could feel the pressure start to mount to successfully transform whilst she still could. Overall it had been 22 days, and it gave her uncomfortable butterflies to think of how few she must have left by now.

She was so close to accomplishing her goal it was almost unbearable, and after some breakthroughs in their last training session, Hermione didn't think she could stand it if she dropped dead now. She had too much riding on her success, for both herself, Bella and Narcissa. She even felt like she owed it to Draco and Severus to live through this.

"Hessy, it's alright, you can leave it down- it'll only fall down if you put it up."

The house elf scowled at Hermione's hair before conceding and leaving it be. "Will Miss Gaunt be needing Hessy to take Miss Gaunt to the manor?"

Hermione had no idea how Hessy had found out about what Severus had told her, but ever since she had she flat out refused to call her Hermione, and with the utmost respect and awe addressed her as 'Miss Gaunt' at all times. Hermione was finding it helpful in someways, because if she was to be called Gaunt in the future she would need to stop accidentally ignoring people assuming they meant someone else when they called her by it.

"No Hessy, it's fine, Severus is going to take me so I don't get removed by the house guards." Hermione, with the help of her elf, had changed into another dress. This one was black, and was far more like a summer dress than Hermione would have expected for late May. She wasn't sure where it had come from, but Hessy had fished it out of the wardrobe and insisted she wore it.

Hessy bowed and left her to find Severus.

Hermione left her room, which already felt much more like home that the Gryffindor tower ever had, and started the walk to Severus' office. No sooner had she stepped out of the safety of Slytherin territory, her heart sank.

"And where are you going, Miss Granger?"

Hermione sighed and gave the professor a blank look. The woman was standing a few feet away from her, leaning primly against the wall. For a moment, she reminded Hermione of Umbridge, and they young witch considered telling her so. She found however, that a flair of rebellion which was becoming more pronounced by the day told her not to even answer whilst being deliberately called by an incorrect name. Without stopping, she walked on, and hoped the woman would disappear before she felt the familiar urge to throttle her.

"Miss Granger, I asked you a question."

Hermione turned a corner and left the woman behind, praying she wouldn't follow. She did, of course, and the sound of hurried footsteps gave away Minerva's fluster.

"Miss-"

"Gaunt." Relief flooded Hermione as she almost walked right into Severus. The potions master gave his colleague a steely look and then turned back to Hermione. "You're late. Come along."

"Where exactly are you planning on taking her, Severus?"

"I'm not an object." Hermione spat, indignant at the implication in Minerva's question.

Severus sighed inwardly as he saw Bella flash through the girl's eyes.

Minerva had turned to study Hermione's dress.

"And what of this?" She asked, almost in shock. "Do you think this funny? Appropriate? That a student of this school should be dressed in that soulless murderer's clothes?"

Her question had been aimed at Severus, but the second it clicked in Hermione's mind that firstly, this dress must have belonged to Bellatrix, and secondly, Minerva had just insulted her soul mate again, it was Hermione who slapped the taste out of her mouth. Severus was once more in charge of grappling Hermione away from the woman, too dumbfounded to speak, and Hermione was too angry to really care.

Once Severus had pulled her down the corridor and out of sight, he stopped, let go of her, and looked at the witch sternly. The young witch awaited her telling off, but it never came. Instead, Severus' eyes crinkled and he giggled like the children she'd seen him swat with rolled up parchment so many times.

Hermione looked behind her in the direction of where they had left Minerva and still like naughty children, they apperated away before she could catch up with them.

Narcissa was thrilled to see Hermione again and the younger witch didn't hesitate to throw her arms around the eldest Black sister's shoulders, despite the protest from her aching muscles.

Severus quickly left them and Hermione followed Narcissa into the house, where, knowing Hermione too well, the older woman took her to the library.

"I see you found my sister's clothes? Suits you. Black is your colour." Narcissa said approvingly.

"Hessy found them- I didn't realise they were once Bella's until… Well, until Minerva mentioned it and I slapped her."

Narcissa let out a soft exhalation and smiled. "Why did you slap her? Not that I don't commend you for it."

"She ah… Insulted your sister." Hermione said, realising how overprotective that made her sound.

"Oh. In that case I'm almost sad I wasn't there to see it." Narcissa offered the younger witch red wine by holding up the bottle and Hermione gratefully accepted, finding her alcohol tolerance had greatly improved in recent weeks, also.

"Thank you." Hermione smiled.

"Draco will be down shortly." Narcissa said. "How are things with you?"

Hermione knew the woman had noticed her hands shaking and she sighed. "I still haven't managed to change. My health is getting worse. Each time I train I end up unconscious for days. I don't know why I just can't seem to do it. I know the magic inside out, the theory, the technique, the methods." Hermione stared into her wine, watching the surface ripple slightly with her hands.

"Perhaps your magic is too depleted by the mark to make the last jump?" Narcissa said thoughtfully.

"I hope not." Hermione said grimly. "Or it may be too late already."

"Maybe not." Narcissa drank some of her wine, then put her glass down. "See Draco, catch up with him- once you're done, come and find me in the dining room. I know it's not a room you probably want to see again but it's the one with the most space."

Hermione wasn't sure what the woman was getting at, but agreed nevertheless and went to find Draco.

She found the blonde sitting at his desk in his room, writing on a piece of parchment.

"New children's book?" Hermione joked.

The boy turned around suddenly and his face lit up. "Hermione! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take so long, I was just finishing off this letter to Severus."

"Oh?"

"He wanted to know where within the shop your family tapestry was. I'm not sure why, if I'm honest, it's not like it's a big place to search."

"I'm sure we'll find out sooner or later." Hermione said.

Draco put his quill down and turned in his chair to face the young witch in his doorway. "I'm sure you're right. So, a Gaunt, huh? That's new."

Hermione made a sound of agreement. "That's one way of looking at it. I thought at first that I would still be a Granger because of my father, but Severus said that since my mother's maiden name was really Gaunt, wether she knew it or not, and my parents weren't married until after I was born, the likelihood is that I will carry my mother's name on my magical birth certificate." Hermione added. "Either way, Severus wants to make sure. If it turns out my magical certificate recorded me as a Guant, then, so be it."

"If it recorded you as a Gaunt when you were born, then who altered it to say Granger?" Draco said, conspiratorially.

Hermione looked uneasy. "That's not something I've brought up with Severus, yet. I mean, I'm sure there's plenty who want the Gaunt line gone, but I admit it's been weighing on my mind. We'll probably find out sooner or later."

"Will you go by Gaunt when we go back to school?" Draco rubbed his eyes as if he hadn't had much sleep.

Hermione nodded. "No point lying about it. If I was on the tapestry then I'm a Gaunt, simple as."

"I bet Minerva is _really_ happy now. What was that about in your letter, you calling her trivial? That must have been hilarious, I wish I would stop missing out on these things."

"I accidentally slapped her about half an hour ago. She insulted Bellatrix again. I don't know why I take it so hard."

Draco's jaw hung open but he was still smiling. "You're fast becoming my hero, you know that? Nice dress, by the way. You're actually starting to look like her. I mean Bellatrix, not Minerva. Ew, Minerva in a sun dress…"

Hermione was still holding her glass of wine in one hand whilst her other dangled by her side near the door frame. "It's Bellatrix's dress. My elf found it and forced me into it. I didn't realise at the time." The witch downed half her glass of wine, her fire whiskey habits kicking in, and put the empty glass down on Draco's desk.

"I hope she's an alcoholic because I certainly will be by the time I get to her."

"I don't think you have much to worry about there." Draco grinned.

Hermione sighed. "Well, I have to go and find your mother. She wanted to meet me in the dining room after I had spoken to you."

"Any particular reason?" Draco asked.

Hermione shrugged theatrically and turned to leave. "No idea. See ya later." She called.

"Later." He called back, still smiling.

Narcissa was waiting in the dining room for Hermione when they young witch peeked around the door. The blonde smiled cordially and noted with sympathy the uncomfortable look on Hermione's face as she entered the room she had not so long ago been tortured in.

"Come," Narcissa said. "I want to try something." She held her hand out to the girl and Hermione hesitantly took it.

"What are you doing?"

"Just don't tell Severus."

"Why, what are you doing?"

"Helping out. Stay still."

Hermione didn't move and Narcissa used her free hand to cast a short spell over their hands.

"Narcissa, you aren't supposed to use any advanced magic!" Hermione hissed quietly, hoping there weren't wards over the house which would alert the guards outside.

"You'll have to keep quiet then." Narcissa smiled almost playfully. "Okay, try to change."

"Narcissa what have you done? Wy do I feel weird?" Hermione felt oddly tingly.

"I just shared a little magic. I learned it when we were hosting half a hundred death eaters in my spare rooms. It might be what you need to succeed- hurry up, it only lasts half an hour or so."

"But what if I can do it this time but can't do it when I go back? I wont have any help then."

"It's like riding a bike, do it once, and you're fine. That's what Bella said, anyway. Come on." Narcissa took a step back from Hermione.

The girl sighed and and concentrated hard on all the things Severus had told her. For a couple of moments, nothing happened, until Hermione closed her eyes and thought to herself _for christ's sake, Hermione, if that old Scottish bat can do it, what's your excuse?_

With no real warning, Hermione's head felt like it split in two, and Narcissa took another step back. When Hermione opened her eyes, they were considerably closer to the ground.

 _Oh my god._ She thought, gazing at her own paws.

"Well, no one's going to believe you're a Slytherin at heart now."

Hermione peered up at Narcissa. _What am I?_ She thought, unable to speak.

"Honestly. That's going to draw a lot of attention."

Hermione was trying to lift one paw up to look under her legs at her tail, falling to one side and then stumbling to regain her balance.

"Hermione. Hermione-"

They young witch yelped as she looked up too fast and fell on her side, flailing briefly to regain her footing. She looked up attentively, watching Narcissa with large eyes, inwardly willing her to present some sort of a mirror so Hermione could see what she was.

"Look, there's a mirror in the hall and then we need to fetch Severus, alright."

Hermione was already padding towards the door she had come in by. Narcissa followed her and quickly opened the door before Hermione could claw at the ornate woodwork.

When Hermione finally saw herself she recoiled into the wall behind her so hard that a disgruntled portrait fell down. Narcissa skilfully caught it and watched Hermione over one shoulder as she blindly tried to stick it back to the wall.

"You look like Gryffindor's collective patronus." Narcissa laughed, gingerly letting go of the portrait to see if it was re-hooked and then more confidently when it stayed put.

Hermione gave her a sarcastic look and then went back to looking at her tail. She couldn't explain why but it was the most overwhelmingly annoying feeling that she couldn't get to it. She strained her neck towards it and then grunted, refusing to chase her tail in front of Narcissa.

"When you're finished amusing yourself labrador-style, we need to get Severus. I can't do it myself so I need to send an elf; stay as you are. He'll want to see the proof."

Narcissa crossed the hall to the library to write a note and called for an elf. Hermione gave her tail one more look before deciding that she should go and show Draco what she'd accomplished, just in case she died before her next opportunity.

The young witch was quickly discovering that doors were going to become a serious problem. When she got to Draco's, she pawed at it and hoped the boy heard her. She heard stirring from behind the door and then her paw met empty air as the wood pulled away from its position.

"Holy _fuck!"_ Draco yelled, throwing himself backwards and landing on his bed, staring at Hermione in horror.

 _Maybe I didn't think this through._ Hermione thought as Draco raised his wand. In an attempt to look friendly, Hermione tried her best to smile, only to realise too late that teeth-showing was also probably not a good idea. She whined and lay on the floor, looking sorry for herself.

A couple of seconds went by and Draco looked harder at her. "Hermione? Is that you? Uh, raise a paw or something if that's you."

Hermione raised a paw and tried not to feel like a dog doing tricks.

Draco sighed heavily and dropped his wand onto his bed. "Merlin's beard, Hermione. I thought I was actually going to be eaten by a lion for a moment. Wait- you did it! You changed into your animagus! Does this mean your going back for Bellatrix now? Does Severus know?"

"Indeed he does." Hermione turned to see her mentor standing in the doorway.

"Congratulations, Miss Gaunt. I trust you remember how to change back?"

Hermione thought about it and a few moments later she was sitting on Draco's carpet blinking in the light.

"Thank god you learned how to magically pack your clothes. For a moment I thought you were going to end up on my bedroom floor with no clothes on." Draco joked.

"Quite." Severus said, holding his hand out to help Hermione off the floor.

"Does this mean I'm… going back? As in, today?" Hermione's eyes showed her apprehension.

"Absolutely. Come, your hands are shaking more than they were an hour ago, we need to leave. Narcissa- thank you."

The eldest Black sister smiled and hugged Hermione. "Good luck." She said.

"Yeah, see you on the other side, 'mione" Draco said, poking her in the shoulder.

Hermione felt a little ill. She smiled weakly and with a nod, Severus pulled her into sidelong apparition.

Hessy was beside herself with an unfortunate mixture of nerves and excitement, and another elf that Hermione didn't know the name of was handing her tiny vials of potions to drink.

"What's this?"

"Master Severus left it for you."

"Okay, but… what does it do?" Hermione sniffed at it, and found it odourless.

"It helps against becoming disorientated, Miss Gaunt." Hessy said helpfully.

"Oh. Okay. What about this one?"

"Master Severus would not tell Hessy." The elf said, looking ashamedly down at her feet.

"Why don't I like the sound of that? Severus?" She called through the door to her room, knowing the man was standing outside.

The door opened and he looked expectantly at her.

"What's this?" Hermione asked suspiciously, holding up the small crystal vial.

"You should know, brightest-of-your-age, you both bought the ingredients for it and watched me brew it."

Hermione remembered the floppy red weeds Severus had shredded up. "Ew, now I don't _want_ to drink it. Just tell me what it does, I'm probably going to die out there anyway."

Severus sighed. "It does lots of things, but mainly it keeps your head clear so when you arrive back here you don't have a huge muddle of timelines in your head."

"You said I was going to come out on the bottom line of the messed-up circle!" Hermione said, realising the elves were giving each other strange looks.

"And you will. The potion is a fail-safe, I've taken it too, and Narcissa and Draco. I left Minerva off the christmas list in the hopes that without it this whole thing might prove too much for her and leave her confused past being a threat any more. You can thank me later."

"If there _is_ a 'later' for me, I'll be sure to." Hermione drank the potion and made a face.

"Okay, I think I'm done. Hessy… not-Hessy, you can go now, take a break or something in my honour."

The elves bowed and left and Severus looked sternly at her. "Hermione, don't wind the elves up, you're _not_ going to die."

Hermione sat down and a ghost of pain splintered briefly down behind her eye. "But what if I do? Or what if I come back and I messed this whole future up and everyone _else_ is dead? What if _you're_ dead?"

Hermione's shaking hands fiddled weakly with her sleeve.

"Hermione-" Severus sighed and sat down beside her. "That's not going to happen. We've been through this plan a hundred times and at this point you know it better than I do and I devised it. And on the impossibility that you come back and I _am_ dead- well. Have a fire whiskey on me and then go and live your life. You _and_ Bella. Get my portrait and hang me somewhere important where I can spend my afterlife mercilessly bully first years about their insecurities. It'll be like I was never gone." Severus said reassuringly.

Hermione sighed. "I suppose."

"Alright." Snape said loudly, standing back up.

Hermione swallowed hard and looked down at the time-turner around her neck.

"Come on, you used it when you were all of 14, you can do it now. When you need to come back, go to the balcony in my study. It wasn't demolished by the fighting and so you can safely appear there in our time. See you in 10 seconds or so."

Hermione nodded and picked up the familiar instrument. Severus had taken the magical restraints off from it so that it could freely take her back further than just a few hours and Hermione hoped that she didn't end up taking herself back further than she meant to.

With a deep breath, she span the rings, and watched as the world disintegrated from around her.

The balcony overlooked a lot of fire and fighting. Hermione was out of breath, but no longer in pain as she fumbled for her time turner, jumping at every sound and praying that no one had seen her or followed her. She couldn't believe how close she'd come to maiming the woman who had treated her so kindly over the years, but seeing Molly again for the first time since this had started had made her angrier than she's ever been before, even with Minerva. She also couldn't believe how stupid she had been to stare at Bellatrix for so long in the middle of a battle field.

 _Oh god I hope she left when she could._ Hermione thought, looking back behind her at the chaos below and remembering all the times herself and Severus had watched the giant squid and talked into the evening from the same balcony.

She spun the rings on the time turner to take her to just a few seconds after she had left with calculated precision and once again the world blurred around her.

When she looked up, Severus, thankfully, was not at all dead. Hermione felt dizzy again and on cue, the potions master moved forward to give her a shoulder before she fell over.

"How did it go?" He asked immediately. "Did you stop Molly in time?"

Hermione nodded. "I think so. I nearly killed her. Bellatrix didn't die when she did the first time but she could still have died afterwards."

"Well, check."

"Check?" Hermione was focused on downing the cool water that Severus had handed her, before realising what he meant and nearly dropping the glass. She almost smashed the glass putting in down on the side and clumsily scrabbled at her sleeves to look at her wrist.

"Oh my god." She said, staring at her mark. "Severus-"

"I can see it."

"Oh my _god_."

Under the black sleeves of her cloak, her lotus flower had turned a pale, pearlescent white.

 **A/N: I'm so devastated about Alan Rickman's sad departure. Somewhere out there, an oil painting is delighting in teasing some 11 year olds. Have a fire whisky on him, guys. Gone but never forgotten.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey boys, girls, and… everyone else; I know this took forever. I'm muy sorry. I'm starting work at 4am now and I'm exhausted all the time so I've taken to writing in 15 minute bursts on my breaks (Not ideal but it's better than nothing, right?).**

 **I actually re-wrote this chapter so many times that I now have 8 documents in the Lotus Flowers folder called 'Nope' with varying amounts of capital letters, curses, and exclamation marks. It's a miracle I got anything posted at all, it really is.**

 **Also, for the few of you that PM'd me- my messenger is possessed by Stalin or something because it refuses to let me answer anyone, hopefully it will sort itself out soon so I don't feel/look like I'm ignoring you all. Okay I think I'm done. As you were.**

/

Hermione was beginning to find this day just a little bit difficult. She had found Bellatrix this morning, after a little direction from Narcissa, in a small, sad little town along the Irish side of the North Channel.

Minerva had lost her mind completely during breakfast and attempted to hex Severus as he made polite conversation, much to the shock of the two tiny Hufflepuff girls that were sitting on the far end of the room hunched miserably over some toast.

"Stop this madness now, Severus! Just stop this right now! And you! Hermione you must know this is just the mark controlling you! Stop this all now!"

And so it had gone on, until Severus had rolled his eyes and stood, gesturing for Hermione to follow him. Their trip to Narcissa's had been short and very tearful, and even Draco looked nervous for her.

Once again, Hermione was more than a little anxious herself.

She had gone straight from Malfoy Manor to the small town Narcissa's instinct had directed her to, and was very surprised to find that on the outskirts there was, behind a lot of trees and driveway, a sister house- slightly smaller but no less grand- to Malfoy Manor there.

It was shortly after ten and not even the most valiant rays of sunlight were managing to claw their way around the greyish white clouds that had, in the early hours of the morning, merged into one giant sheet, blocking out all signs and hopes of blue sky.

Hermione had taken a long time to gather up the courage to go inside the house. Her heart had been racing all the way up the drive and at this point she was just as afraid of finding Bellatrix as she was of not finding her. After half an hour of staring at the door, she had pushed on the white wood, and to her surprise, it had opened.

The house's interior was not unlike Malfoy Manor in appearance- imposing, cold, but in need of a little more tlc than Narcissa's immaculate household; Hermione could easily have imagined it being the sort of place Bellatrix might retreat to as her sister had suggested.

Hermione found nothing of interest on the lower half of the house. A few chairs, a sofa which didn't look as though it had been sat on in a very long time, a gigantic desk and some empty shelves were the only things that Hermione managed to find.

She started up the stairs and winced as they creaked in the seemingly forced silence.

In the back of her mind, she'd still been thinking about Minerva, and the injustice of it all. The woman was out of control, and she wasn't sure how the hell she was going to cope with the rest of the school year if this was going to the the tone.

Perhaps Bellatrix would put an end to her if she asked nicely.

At the top of the stairs and to the left, Hermione had found herself in another room with a sofa but this one, unlike it's ground-floor counterpart, definitely looked more in use. To the left there was a fireplace which had ashes in the grate, and the floor wasn't as dusty looking.

It certainly seemed more promising than anything she had seen so far.

Wondering if there was anything outside that might help, but unsure exactly what, she had leaned in close to the cool glass window and peered out into the grim morning, hazel eyes reflecting the white squares of the window panes. As she studied the landscape, a voice had sounded from the other side of the room that made Hermione jump feet.

"Looking for something?"

Hermione yelped without thinking, turned quickly around and then reeled away, stumbling with her back against the window.

She stared.

Bellatrix was sitting on a table in the shadows near the door with her legs crossed at the knees, leaning back a little on her palms and with her head tilted to one side. Her hair was piled up on top of her head and her eyes were dark. The way she was smiling gave Hermione butterflies.

The young witch felt like a rabbit in the headlights. Her heart was beating so hard that it hurt to swallow, and her voice failed her in what she quickly identified as reflex fear.

She was _afraid_ of Bellatrix. Even after all of this, her body betrayed her.

"Hello my love-" The dark witch said, "What took you so long?"

Hermione's head was spinning and she fought against the head rush that was threatening to overtake her. If she passed out now, she'd never live down the embarrassment- she had, apparently, already walked right past the woman as it was.

"Well well, little lioness, you don't look so good. You can't be surprised to see me, you did walk right in here- although I really am curious as to the timing… Take a months holiday, did we?"

Hermione opened her mouth and then decided against spilling the whole story in one, long, unpunctuated sentence. "You- you knew it was me?" She asked instead, breathless considering she hadn't so much as moved an inch.

Bellatrix scowled. "Give me some credit, you gave me long enough to work it out. It was the eyes that gave you away, though, if you were actually wondering."

Hermione blinked subconsciously. She had of course realised that Bellatrix, as it now stood, hadn't been dead for a month; and within the time she'd now spent alive had had more than enough surplus to think over what had happened. She hand't expected Bellatrix to have worked out who she was just from looking at her animagus, however. That was either prodigious skill or uncanny luck.

All in all Bellatrix seemed… unconcerned by Hermione's arrival, as if it had been perfectly expected.

The dark witch cocked her head. Hermione looked exhausted and getting her head together enough to speak was apparently taking its toll. Bellatrix decided to give her a break; it was to be expected that the girl was at least a little nervous.

Hermione watched as Bellatrix hopped down from the table and walked slowly over to the sofa, sitting down gracefully.

Hermione didn't have a clue what to say. What was the normal thing to say to someone you were fated to spend the rest of your life with loving completely and unconditionally when you hadn't yet so much as exchanged two words in passing? You weren't supposed to know these things in advance, she felt like she had broken the system or used some kind of cheat code.

 _Crap_. Was all she could think as she scrambled to form a sentence. Before she could embarrass herself any further, however, Bellatrix squinted at her.

"Is that-" The woman stood up again and Hermione found she couldn't back away with her back already to the glass as the ex death eater approached.

"Is that my crow?" Bellatrix reached out to pull the pendulum from where it rested against Hermione's chest, half hidden by her top.

Hermione's heart stopped dead as the older witch's fingertips brushed against her skin and she had to force herself not to hold her breath.

"Cissy gave it to me." She said without thinking as Bellatrix examined the skull.

Bellatrix's face changed for a second and then went back to neutral.

"Cissy? She echoed quietly. "Is she okay?"

"Last time I checked." Hermione confirmed nervously, hoping that was the right thing to say as if she might be punished if it weren't.

"Then you've spoken with her?"

Hermione nodded. "She was… very welcoming…"

Bellatrix smiled for a moment and carefully let the necklace rest back against Hermione's skin. "She's good at that. Why did she give you this?"

Bellatrix's eyes were dark and something in her voice made Hermione wonder, not for the first time, if there was more to this necklace than there seemed.

"She… I'm not sure." She trailed off, trying to think back to what they had been talking about when Narcissa had gone to get it. Had it been Minerva? Her condition? Hermione couldn't remember.

"I was dying- a lot happened in a short space of time… I- I can't remember."

Bellatrix's eyes snapped up to look into Hermione's and just as her heart rate had begun to feel steady, it tripped and fluttered again.

"Dying?" There was something akin to suppressed concern in Bellatrix's voice and Hermione couldn't help but find it almost fascinating as it jarred with everything she had been previously taught to believe about the woman.

Hermione didn't even know where to begin.

"I think I have a lot to explain." She said after a few moments.

Bellatrix straightened up and nodded slightly, trying not to let on just how much she wanted to hear what Hermione had to say. She had been driving herself insane over the last month, stuck in this house with little to no information about what was happening in the outside world.

Hermione steadied herself and perched on the edge of the sofa, wetting her lips as she tried to think where to begin. Did she tell her about what had happened when her, Ron and Harry were taken to Malfoy Manor the first time? Or should she tell her exactly as it had unfolded from her own point of view, starting with Minerva coming to visit her?

Bellatrix sat down beside her, choosing to sit leaning against the arm to give Hermione some space. She couldn't help but notice how much Hermione had changed since she had last set eyes on her; it had been a few years. The girl's jawline was more defined and her hair was as tamed as Bellatrix could imagine it was ever going to get, not being much one to speak on the subject herself. She was also taller, and notably… lean- not quite skinny, though Bellatrix wondered if she would have said the same if she had seen her a month ago.

"After the battle… I…" Hermione sighed. "I collapsed. When I woke up, I had this." She looked down at the mark across her wrist, feeling Bellatrix's eyes follow her own. Hermione was either too nervous or too afraid to chance glancing up at Bellatrix's face.

"Minerva told me what it was." Hermione's mind went blank and she decided she might as well just come out with it. "It was Black. You died in the battle. And that meant I had about a month to live before I joined you."

Hermione swallowed and tried to remember that she was, for now at least, a Gryffindor. Her eyes darted up to look at the other woman and found the ex death eater's eyes were still fixed to Hermione's wrist. There was an earnest in them which hadn't been there before, but Bellatrix proved to be a good listener and didn't interrupt.

"So Severus asked to see me. He wanted me to allow him the chance to persuade me to, rather than let myself die, bring you back. Which, no offence, I wasn't really… enthusiastic about at the time. But he won, I went to see your sister. And then I spent the month going between days of unconsciousness and pain and training-"

"To be an animagus." Bellatrix finished for her, piecing it together.

There was a quiet between them for a moment and a rather unnecessary voice at the back of her mind pointed out that the fear Hermione had felt when she first laid eyes on Bellatrix had since evaporated. In its place was the same sort of anxiety as if she had just jumped from a high place but was promised a soft landing.

"I went back yesterday."

Bellatrix blinked and Hermione watched as turmoil broke out behind her eyes.

Finding herself unable to think of anything else to say suitable for the moment, Hermione instead rolled up her sleeves to occupy her hands.

She regretted doing it almost immediately.

"What's that?"

"What's- oh." Hermione looked down to her arm and the cursed scarring that Bellatrix had noticed without hesitation.

Hermione supposed that now was as good a time as any. "Remember when Harry, Ron and I got, uh...escorted to Malfoy Manor?" Hermione risked another glance up to Bellatrix's face and her expression told her she most certainly did.

"Well, I got... interrogated. By you. Except it wasn't you- it was Rudolphus using polyjuice. But up until last month when I spoke to Narcissa I thought it was you. He used a knife to cut that on my arm and nothing will get rid of it." Hermione concluded quickly, not wanting to dwell on the memory for too long.

"That son of a..." Bellatrix stopped herself and looked away, her eyes narrowed. She stared out of the window for a few moments and then looked back, apparently a lot calmer.

"I'm sorry." She said resolutely.

"It... wasn't you." Hermione said, feeling weird that she was trying to make the woman that had until recently been straight out of her nightmares feel better.

"It might as well have been though, for the effect it had."

Hermione opened her mouth to disagree before realising she couldn't. Not without lying, anyway.

"So… What is this place?"

"One of Andromeda's houses she lost when the family disowned her. I'm now the rightful owner, the resident, the maid, gardener and cook."

"The Christmas party must be a blast." Hermione said without thinking.

Bellatrix looked at her as if she was going to reply for a moment before laughing loudly.

"Ah… yeah, it has its moments." Bellatrix agreed.

"I think… I think Severus wants to speak with you."

Bellatrix turned to gaze at her with big brown eyes which despite being uncharacteristically gentle made Hermione's own eyes dart back to her lap like repelled magnets.

"Where?"

"Hogwarts."

"I can't go there, Hermione."

Hermione shivered, trying with all her might not to make it obvious.

"There's nothing Minerva can do." The younger witch said impulsively, aware it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than Bellatrix.

"Minerva?"

"She's… on the war path." Hermione had been sparing with details of the headmistress, and was yet to mention the second half of Severus' plan.

"She'll probably make an attempt on my life when she gets her hands on me." Hermione sighed.

"Well in that case." Bellatrix stood up suddenly. "I suppose I should be there to even the odds."

/

The only thing that wasn't covered in crusted, powdery sea salt in the dismally small town of Marlowe-On-Sea was the railings between the road and the beach, and that was only because they had recently been hit by a beauty of a wave whipped up by the never ceasing 'godforsaken fucking damned wind' which hit the town dead on 99% of the time.

Everything else was either covered over for the impending storm or covered in salt and left to its fate.

The man who was watching the uproar on the beach couldn't say he was surprised.

He was pushing 143 now and it took a lot these days; when he was younger the world had seemed like a vast place, but generally, he had since found, this was not the case.

Of course there were wonders; Hippogriffs and the clandestine secrets of the Centaurs, ancient dragons and bog unicorns, but really, most experiences in life could be equated to the one he was watching right now- three women, one man, screaming, fire, and the occasional rugby tackle. Really, life was like this- completely random, with little point, a lot of fighting, and the wind blowing in totally the wrong direction to that which would be helpful to any or all parties.

He tugged at a long white whisker as he watched the man with the black cloak and the blacker hair take yet another near miss from a smaller woman with brown hair, who seemed intent on dismantling a woman wearing what was clearly a witch's hat.

Was this what Hogwarts did these days? He wondered. It had been so many years since he'd so much as set eyes on the castle he would have believed the man who told him it was no longer there. He had been living among the muggles in this isolated place for so long that at one point he'd had to leave for a decade and then come back as someone else, for fear someone would twig he had been seventy for over forty years. As it happened, the muggles were particularly unobservant when it came to the elderly, and he had gotten away with it nicely.

A loud bang startled the remaining gulls into a sleepy adrenaline-fuelled flight over the bay and the woman with long black hair- who had earlier cursed colourfully about the wind as she and the smaller woman had walked past him- shouted something not quite loudly enough to be heard from such a distance at the woman in the hat, who seemed now to be getting it from all sides.

Wands were now drawn without a thought for who was watching, and the man took a second to check behind him for other onlookers, since the witches and wizard on the beach clearly weren't going to. There were none. A few lines of battered beach huts, some small boats huddled under bright blue tarpaulin, and a closed cafe with its shiny silver seats all stacked on the table tops and tied down with a mixture of guy ropes and pull ties were all that faced the scene.

Another bang and the man looked back.

Well, he thought, as the tall woman with the black hair finally hexed the woman in the hat, standing firmly in front of the smaller woman with the brown hair whilst the man in the cloak put his face in his hands, Hogwarts has certainly upped its game for practical lessons.

Even as he thought it, he could see from the enraged look on the hat woman's face that this wasn't practice. She fired something back, and hell broke loose.

The man in the cloak stood now with his hands in the air, shouting at the sides of his company's heads as they carried on fighting regardless.

It was probably the most exciting thing those sands had seen since a brig carrying salted meats and spices had been wrecked against the cliffs in the night and washed up onto the beach with the high tide in 1746.

From what he could see, the woman with the black hair was by far the superior fighter, followed closely by the woman with the brown hair. Her reflex was infallible, her counter spells precise and effective, and overall the woman in the hat was first outmatched, and then also outnumbered when the slightly smaller woman joined in. The black-haired man was obviously not of a faint heart, as he tried to step in between the women to halt the fighting, using his body as a wall.

For a short time it worked and he tried to further talk the situation down before the woman in the hat made what the man watching assumed was a smart comment, and the smaller woman lunged at her again, forgetting her wand entirely.

Drop by drop, fat bulbs of rain began to fall on the beach, hitting the railings and jumping out into four or five smaller globs before running down towards the pavement.

The man wrinkled his nose and peered up to the grey sky. A drop fell on his forehead, then his cheek, and then, with no further warning and in full British spirit, it lashed it down.

The taller woman with the dark hair wrenched the smaller woman away from the scuffle and put her behind her, and then put her hand over the woman with the hat's face and pushed her clean onto her back in one motion. She then turned her back, grabbed the brown haired woman, and disappeared on the spot. The man in the cloak looked from where they had disappeared, to the the woman on the wet sand, and then disappeared also, leaving her to struggle to her feet, covered in sand and sea water. Once she was up she shouted, blew a hole in the sand before her in anger, leaving a crater about a meter wide and a meter deep, and then disappeared also, before she could become anymore drenched by the freezing rain.

The man watched the empty beach for a long while after the four had gone. After the first two drops, the rain hadn't further hit him and he supposed he should make himself scarce before a muggle came to investigate all the noise, only to find a huge hole in the beach, and an old man standing dry in the downpour. That could be a difficult one to explain.

After thinking about the scene on the beach for a few more seconds, he decided that maybe now was the time to lay eyes on Hogwarts once more.

He turned on the spot, and he too was gone, leaving the crater, the rain, and the oncoming storm.

/

Minerva was humiliated more than she was angry. Years of built up contempt had caused her to underestimate Bellatrix, even after everything that had happened. Not only had she managed to forget that she was _not_ Dumbledore, and could likely not take on both Bellatrix _and_ Hermione at the same time, but she had also forgotten just how quickly Bellatrix could tire of dealing with someone. She could switch from furious to boredly unimpressed in under a second, and Minerva knew she might never live down being pushed on her back by her face if Hermione or her new partner ever decided to divulge the event to anyone else. She couldn't believe she had been so stupid.

Now back in her office, Minerva bristled at the thought of the ex death eater alive and well within the castle walls, and further still at the fact there was nothing she could do about it. She was convinced that Severus was the ignition source of this problem and that he had been since the beginning.

But what could she do? She couldn't kill Bellatrix without killing Hermione. And if Hermione's condition were to be found out, investigated... No. Minerva knew she would not get away with it. Azkaban couldn't touch Bellatrix unless Hermione really went out of her way to mess up and she landed herself in there too, and she couldn't expel Hermione from the school without causing an uproar of epic proportions with the media and the ministry.

She was, as the kids said these days, fucked.

All she could do now was try to make life difficult for the two in the hopes they might leave of their own accord; and she knew exactly where to start.

The letters were already primly written and folded, tucked neatly into their envelopes and stacked in one magically supported column halfway to the high ceiling. Hundreds and hundreds of calligraphic names printed one one side, and as many red wax seals stamped on the other.

If Hermione and Bellatrix wanted Hogwarts, she'd give them Hogwarts.

In 48 hours time students would be flooding the great hall, now repaired and proud as though nothing had ever happened, and they would have no where left to hide.

If she was honest, the repairs to the castle could have done with another two weeks to really finish up, but Minerva wasn't that patient. Her decision to call the students back to school had been made without consulting even the minister, and she intended to answer any and all criticism with the excuse of just not being able to stand seeing the halls empty for another day. The crowd always had liked a sentimental old woman.

If that didn't work, she would find something else; she had to get rid of Bellatrix by any means necessary, and she needed to do it quickly and quietly.

After so many years, after _beating_ the damned woman once, she couldn't afford for Bellatrix to let her secrets get out now. She couldn't afford for Bellatrix to live again.


	11. Chapter 11

Hermione would admit that the fighting on the beach had mostly been her fault; she had lost her temper with the Headmistress when she had heard the things she'd said to Bellatrix's face. Severus had tried, almost successfully, to break them apart, but just as things seemed to have simmered down, Minerva just had to have the last word, and it had all descended into chaos again.

Bellatrix had eventually lost patience, shoved the woman over- much to Hermione's poorly hidden glee- and pulled her into apparition.

They landed just outside of Hogsmeade, and walked to Hogwarts in a comfortable quiet. Once they had arrived, Bellatrix had retreated to the Slytherin common room, much to the uproarious delight of the paintings- all of which were threatened with paint stripper were they to let the news of Bellatrix's arrival spread to any paintings that might not be so jubilant of the dark witch's return- where Hermione had quietly left her to gather her thoughts while she went to let Severus know they were both in one piece.

Hermione waited for half an hour for Snape in his office, sitting in her usual chair with a twisting anxiety about what she would say to Bellatrix later on, wondering all the while if Bellatrix felt the same.

Severus never showed up. Perhaps he was still in Ireland, Hermione had thought, perhaps he hadn't apparated straight after they had. Surely he couldn't still be on the beach with Minerva? Besides, Hermione was sure she had seen the woman heading towards her office from the other end of a corridor just after she had arrived herself.

Still, she waited. Eventually, Hermione picked a book to read from the dusty shelf behind Severus' desk. It was on the varying varieties of vampire, the myths and misconceptions surrounding them and Hermione actually found it quite interesting. She skimmed the first few introductory chapters but found herself becoming more and more sucked in with every page she flipped. By the time Chapter 11 surfaced, Hermione had lost track of time completely.

Less than a page later, the Gryffindor began to develop a headache. She frowned, rubbing her eyes and almost dropped the book from her lap when she re-opened them.

It was dark. Dusk had drawn in around her and she had been too engrossed in her literature to notice.

 _I must have been here for hours._ The brunette thought, feeling a little panic as she closed the book and stood up. Her legs were stiff.

An unpleasant feeling ran through her. Where was Severus? Surely he must be back by now. Unsure what else to do, Hermione left the room in a hurry and and walked through the halls in the hopes of coming across the potions master.

When eventually she did find him, she walked straight into his chest. "Ow! Severus? Sev- Hey-"

Severus strode past her at a great pace, his face unreadable.

Hermione chased him to the main doors and stopped short when she saw the sight in front of her.

"Oh god, Bellatrix-" Hermione ran. She flew back down the corridor and towards the Slytherin Common Room, stopping only when she needed to breathe the password to get in.

Bellatrix was pacing when Hermione burst in. "Aurors!" She blurted randomly, breathing heavily.

The older witch was not at all perturbed in the face of Hermione's panic.

"Calm down." She mused gently. "What of them?"

"They're _here_."

Bellatrix's face was hard to read. "Shit." She muttered, looking down into the glowing fireplace as if it would offer her advice. "How many?"

"Three." Hermione was taken aback once more at how calm Bellatrix seemed.

Staring into the flames, Bellatrix was thinking exactly what she had been thinking ever since she arrived here; how to deal with Hermione. Now that she had had the luxury of time taken away from her, however, the question of whether or not she should metaphorically take the reigns with her new situation in regards to the younger witch seemed to have been made for her.

"I'd best make myself scarce, then."

There was something charming about the way Bellatrix conveyed herself in that moment, brushing past Hermione close enough to make her hold her breath a little.

"Coming?" Bellatrix had stopped, waiting for Hermione to follow her from the room with a mischievous glint in her eyes that Hermione couldn't source.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked tentatively, as if she wasn't already scrambling after the woman.

"You'll see."

They ran into Severus not five seconds after leaving the common room.

"Oh, good. Hermione I need you to sign this form."

The brunette looked at the long piece of parchment that was proffered to her in a way which suggested she'd rather do a year's hard labour than have to read through the whole thing.

"What is it?" She asked, hoping that Snape might do her a favour and give her the short version.

"The paperwork necessary to register you as an animagus. I couldn't say whether they worked it out for themselves or if Minerva tipped them off out of spite, but that's what they're here for, as far as they've said."

Hermione sighed and scribbled her signature onto the dotted line, leaning against the wall.

"Thank you." The man seemed to suddenly notice the two had been on their way somewhere when he had caught them. "Hope I didn't interrupt anything."

For some unknown reason Hermione's cheeks burned and Bellatrix fixed him with a look. They had had their reunion earlier, before the madness on the beach, and had already, it seemed, lapsed back into their old ways.

"Not at all. We were just making ourselves scarce for our guests." She assured.

"I think that would be wise. You know what they're like for snooping and one of them has already expressed an overly keen interest in taking a look around 'to see the restoration work'. Wouldn't want them to stumble upon anything that might… startle them."

Bellatrix nodded once and Severus left with the form, leaving the two women to carry on through the hallways. They took enough turns for Hermione to be slightly disorientated in the still unfamiliar dungeons and came to an unexpected stop in front of an unremarkable section of wall.

"Aperi murum."

Hermione watched anxiously, glancing up and down the corridor in fear of Auror's appearing out of nowhere and apprehending them. The wall morphed into a door and Bellatrix held it open for the younger witch, secretly sharing her worries as she watched over the Gryffindor's shoulder. No one appeared, and the two closed the door behind them quickly, watching it in relief as it turned back into bricks.

"Woah." They were in a room, not much bigger than Severus' office, with a sofa and an arm chair around a fire place in the centre. Every other surface was covered in books. Two large bookshelves groaned under the weight piled onto them, a large desk at the back of the room on the left was barely visible, even the chairs around the table had volumes piled onto the seats. On the right hand side of the room behind the arm chair the stone floor was raised two shallow steps up and there was another table pushed up against the wall with one chair, covered in wooden box's and other interesting looking objects.

"I didn't think I'd ever see this place again." Bellatrix admitted. "It's been a long time."

"What is 'this place'?" Hermione momentarily forgot her shyness when confronted by so many books- books which she had had no idea were ever in the castle.

"I found it in my second year. I think it was a room for the elves originally, when I discovered it there was just the fireplace and a lot of cobwebs. I shrank some of the furniture from the common room when everyone was asleep over a couple of weeks and made a little room. The books are all from the restricted section, by the end of my time at Hogwarts it had turned into a bit of a competition with myself to see how many I could hoard down here without getting found out. I spent nearly all of my time in her, not even my sisters knew about it."

Hermione felt strangely honoured to have been let into this little sanctuary. She was about to say so when she felt something… foreign. A fondness and a sense of reminiscence that was most definitely not her own.

She looked at Bellatrix awkwardly, wondering if the other witch knew. She had almost forgotten what Severus has said about privacy.

Bellatrix caught her expression. "Are you alright?"

Hermione nodded. "I just… felt something that wasn't my own."

"Oh. I wondered if that was a two way occurrence. I've been half in on your mind since you arrived at the house."

Hermione balked.

"Don't worry, I caught nothing incriminating. Rather a lot about vampires, though." Bellatrix sat down in the arm chair and Hermione followed suit, curling up in the corner of the sofa closest to the fire, which the other witch promptly lit.

"Sorry. I was reading."

"I thought you might've been avoiding me."

Hermione thought about that. She had certainly been procrastinating, but more than anything she really had been waiting for Severus.

"I wouldn't blame you."

Hermione looked to the floor. After everything she'd been through she felt so unprepared for this.

"I wasn't." Hermione said lamely, knowing that despite its truth the childishness of the argument undermined itself.

Hermione felt another brief brush of emotions but this time she couldn't have said what they were; other people's emotions, she was beginning to realise, were significantly more difficult to classify than her own. Perhaps because her own emotions had an entire lifetime's worth of inner monologue behind them, making them easier to compare against one another, allowing them twist and colour based purely on what was next to them.

After all, she wondered, if you had only ever felt one emotion, happiness, maybe, would you be able to identify what it was without outside help? Or would it remain formless until a second emotion emerged, anger, redder and hotter and forcing that first emotion to take a lighter colour to distinguish itself against its new cousin? Or did each emotion present itself already dressed, the mind, being easily suggestible, assuming that those differences they represented were something more than just a coincidence, manufacturing them into patterns that weren't there just to try and understand.

Hermione sighed. Maybe it was just how it felt to be on the outside looking in.

"That's an awfully deep line of thought for the sober early evening." Bellatrix mused, watching as Hermione tried to think of something to say.

"It's just what happens when I can't get my head around something. You should have seen me trying to understand the fascination my dorm mates had with boys." Hermione smirked to herself. She had at least _tried_.

"Not keen?" Bellatrix already knew the answer.

"Not sure what there was to be keen _on_."

The two laughed quietly and some of the tension diffused. Hermione studied the arm of the sofa.

"Did you want to?" Bellatrix asked eventually.

Hermione looked up at her in budding alarm.

"I don't mean understand what there may or may not be to be keen over on boys, I mean try and work this out."

"Oh." _Phew._ Hermione had been wondering just what the other woman was offering for a moment.

"We don't have to." She added. "Just seems a little unfair that I can come and go as I please and you don't seem to be able to do anything about it. I know there's rather a lot of other priorities, but… I think this would be a helpful thing to have down before going into all that."

Hermione _did_ want to figure this out, but she was more than a little nervous about doing so. The idea that she might be able to just think some things and not have to actually say them to Bellatrix for the woman to understand was far too much of a plus to let her nervousness win out, though.

"Okay." She agreed, meekly, wondering if the other witch had heard her think that.

If she had, she must of agreed, because she pushed herself up from the armchair and settled back down next to Hermione without a word.

"Just a heads up, legilimency isn't a good idea. Something about time lines, Severus mentioned a swift and painful ejection?"

"Hopefully it wont be needed."

Bellatrix held her hand out and Hermione gingerly took it, unsure of what to expect. As their fingers entwined, the Gryffindor was suddenly overwhelmed by a heady, dazed sensation, the same sort of oddly mesmerising feeling that stuffed your mind full of cotton wool when someone played with your hair. It quelled a little over the following few seconds, but never fully receded. Her anxiety drained away with it, along with her nervousness and any stray fears she had left that this wasn't very real. She felt the kind of calmness come over her that was usually reserved for when she woke up at the perfect temperature in a particularly comfortable position with nothing pressing her to leave her bed.

"Is that..?"

"Mutual." Bellatrix assured, seemingly caught quite off-guard herself.

"Alright, try now." The ex Death Eater encouraged, blinking through the haze.

Hermione steadied herself and tried, blindly to reach out into the mist. The results were like a hammer to a landmine. Thoughts and feeling and images and sounds flooded around her so quickly she felt as though a river had swept her off her feet. She had, in fact, actually pulled a plug. The river of confusion eventually drained away and she found herself regaining her footing.

 _'_ _I probably should have warned you about that.'_

Hermione blinked. In the back of her mind, she could feel the same warm haze of emotions she was feeling only further off- notably not her own. Rather than the passing encounters she had experienced before, it was flowing and constant, and she could feel the rise and retreat of other emotions as the crossed Bellatrix's eyes.

 _I…_ Hermione didn't know what to say. It was a foreign feeling but at the same time she was drawn to it, she didn't want Bellatrix to withdraw again.

 _'_ _At least you understand now- I wasn't trying to pry, just… didn't want to block you out.'_

There were other whispers, fast and fleeting and incomplete that Hermione was too inexperienced to catch hold of as they fluttered around her, but Bellatrix's voice was so clear.

And Hermione understood immediately what Severus had meant when he told her the invasion of privacy wouldn't bother her. Having Bellatrix in her mind didn't feel any different to having herself in her mind, and she found herself immensely and inexplicably comforted by it.

 _I understand. Oh god… What if I hadn't have gone back, what if I rejected Snape and let Minerva let me die, what if I'd let her let Bellatrix die, what if I hadn't-_

Hermione had forgotten that she was still live-streaming her tail of consciousness as tears pricked in her eyes. The idea of Bellatrix being dead now was bordering being more than she could cope with.

Bellatrix pulled her away from her thoughts and into her arms with one movement.

"Don't think about that." She said aloud. "You _did_ listen to Severus, you brought me back from the dead, and Minerva… Minerva can go to hell." Hermione squeezed her eyes closed and hid her face against soft black curls, breathing in deep breaths of pine and incense. She felt herself calming down rapidly, and endeavoured to focus more on how she could feel first hand how much another person cared about her, and how so few people in the world had that privilege, than on the dark, choppy waters of nearly's and almost's. She swore she could have fallen asleep right then and there, feeling for the first time in a long time safe and relaxed and when she pulled grudgingly away from Bellatrix, she felt much more able to look her in the eyes.

"You should sleep." Bellatrix suggested quietly. _'There's another two days for all this.'_

Part of Hermione wanted to stay up and talk all night, but the more rational part knew she wouldn't be able to if she tried. She dipped her head down slightly, unable to believe that just a few hours ago she had been hacking through a thousand-pager to put this off.

Bellatrix exhaled a small breath of air from her nose in amusement as Hermione's thoughts crossed her own mind, knowing it was exactly what she would have done at Hermione's age.

Hermione blushed in the realisation the other woman had heard, and Bellatrix took the opportunity to catch her chin softly and pull her face back up to look at her. She smiled briefly, and then leaned in, pressing their lips together for just a few brief seconds, enough to silence Hermione's racing thoughts completely.

Bellatrix's lips were soft, and warm and Hermione felt like the safest girl in the world as she settled down along side the woman in front of the fire in the little sanctuary.

 **A/N: Oh my god it's been so long. Hopefully someone's still here, that was the worst writer's block EVER. Plus side, A Lesson In Black came out of it. I'm hoping I can get back on with my stories now this fog has lifted, finger's crossed, Potter.**


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